Starting a New
by mac0214
Summary: Sequal to Last Sacrifice- The Ending. It's time for the children to start school. With them having so many differences and having famous Guardians for parents what challenges do they face. Rate M for chapters where Dimitri and Rose are around.
1. Chapter 1

**Starting a new. Hello everyone. I hope you were happy with the way the last story ended. As I promised here's the new story. I hope you like it. **

Rose's POV

"Tyrla if you don't stop jumping up and down and pack your bags we won't make it in time." I told her. She looked at me smiling. For a week now, after telling the children they were going to start school she had been bouncing off the walls. Looking at her now I was shocked to see how much she had grown in the last year.

They both were turning six in four months, but acted like they were going on thirty sometimes. They were starting school late. Tyrla didn't seem to mind but Nick hated that people would think he was stupid for just starting. Funny thing is that they were more advanced than the other kids. Even little Renee was smarter. We had all pitched in and home schooled them making them excel in their studies.

While I was in Tyrla's room helping her pack clothes, Nick on the other hand started packing his weapons which Dimitri had to tell him was not allowed.

For Christmas last year his grandpa, my dad thought he would buy him a sword. Not an old sword like in the medieval times but something new. They were handmade Hitsugaya swords. Abe had them specially designed to fit Nick's size, so he had them shortened. Them meant two which he carried strapped on his back in sheaths. To top it all off Abe had also given him throwing stars. He never left the house without them and fought with his father about taking them.

Dimitri finally caved knowing that Nick just wanted to be able to protect Tyrla, Renee, and himself if needed. Dimitri had purchased the same swords in his size and trained with Nick. It was beautiful the way they moved with the double sided sword, like a dance. Dimitri didn't feel right without his strapped to his back either. But Nick was going to have to conceal them better. Thankfully Tyrla found no interest in the swords or throwing stars. She was more interested in the mountain lion that became her pet.

Honestly I never worried about her wondering off anymore. That cat which she called Sidka never left her side. She was extremely upset that he wasn't coming with her to school. It took me telling her that people would freak out if she brought him. But thankfully Nick stepped in and said we could drop him off in the forest outside the wards at school. Mountain lions were in that forest in Montana. Yes the children were going to St. Vladimir's Academy. Dimitri and I wanted to get jobs there but the children begged to let them do this without their famous family breathing down their necks. Instead Dimitri and I rented a nice condo in a small town an hour or so away.

A small cry came from the other room. My baby girl was awake. Her delivery was harder than the twins. But when she was born I forgot all about the pain. Jade, was a little over a year old now. She was such a beautiful little girl. Her hair was shoulder length now and curly. As soon as Tyrla heard her she ran for her room. Tyrla hated leaving Jade. Nick hated it too; he wanted to protect his sisters, both his sisters.

Tyrla was trying to teach Jade how to walk and say her name before she left. But Jade only took one step and fell on her bottom. She made me promise that we would bring Jade to the school every weekend to see her.

Tyrla returned to her own room with Jade on her hip. "Well hello sleepy head." I said as I kissed her cheek. She giggled and every time she did I couldn't help but laugh. Her giggle was so unique, it sounded like she was still a baby when she giggled.

"Mum mum mum." She said. Tyrla set her on the floor and started playing with her toy horses, giving Jade her favorite one.

"You can have that one Jade." Tyrla told her. Jade squeezed it to her chest with a big smile.

"Will you brush her hair while I finish your packing?" I asked Tyrla. I already knew the answer, she loved brushing her hair. During my last month of pregnancy she brushed mine to help distract me from the pain.

"Yup." Tyrla said as she jumped up and went to the bathroom to get her brush. Jade made a crying noise but clapped her hands when she saw Tyrla coming back.

"La, La." Jade said. That was her attempt to say Tyrla's name.

"How is everything going in here?" Dimitri asked from the door.

"Da, Da." Jade squealed. Dimitri picked her up for a moment and then threw her in the air causing her to squeal louder. She loved when he did that.

"Nick is all ready to go. Do you need any help?" he asked me. With Jade in his hands he walked over to me and kissed my cheek.

"Yuck!" Tyrla said.

"It's not yuck Tyrla. I love your mother very much. I kiss you every day, don't I?" he asked her.

"Yup. Because you love me too." She said. She reached for Jade and Dimitri gave her over.

"Can you find another suitcase? Tyrla wants to bring all her clothes and shoes." I asked him.

"I know where one is, I'll be right back." Dimitri said as he left.

"Tyrla you remember what I told you?" I asked her.

"Yes mommy. That I should only care what I think of myself and not to worry what others think of me. Oh, and that no amount of nice things will make me a true friend." She paused. "But I don't need any friends. I have Renee and Nicky."

"Mum, mum, mum, mum." Jade said clapping her hands. "Key, key." She said trying her hardest to say Nicky.

"Tyrla, friends are nice to have. Look and me and auntie Lissa. We've been friends since we were younger than you are." I told her. But I knew she most likely wouldn't make any friends for awhile. First because she was Dimitri and my daughter, second because some of her gifts people knew about. The big one being she could change Strigoi back. So for the time being having two friends even though they were family was better than nothing at all.

Dimitri walked back with a large suitcase and started putting Tyrla's shoes inside. "Dad why can't I have a room closer to Tyrla's and Renee's?" Nick asked entering the room.

"Because son, girls and boys live in separate housing at school." Dimitri told him. Nick wasn't happy about not being able to protect the two girls. Luckily we got Tyrla and Renee in the same room.

"But what about all the stories uncle Adrian told me about sneaking out?" Nick asked. I was going to have to beat Adrian if he didn't keep his mouth shut. Come time Tyrla and Nick and even sweet Renee were going to start sneaking out. Maybe not so much as Nick, he was just like his father.

"Uncle Adrian was and still is a trouble maker." I told him.

"I'm not too sure about that Roza. I remember finding you once out of your room." Dimitri said with a smile.

"Liked what you saw back then too, didn't you." I said laughing. We both were referring to the time he caught me with Jesse.

"How you saw past my mask is beyond me, but yes I did." Dimitri said as he zipped the last suitcase up. "It's time to get this stuff on the helicopter." He said grabbing four of the eight suitcases.

Everything was loaded on the helicopter including Sidka. He was in a corner in the back looking very uncomfortable. But he would go through this just for Tyrla.

The whole family was on the roof top to say their goodbyes. I hated this part. I wanted to stay in my home but also wanted to be close to the children.

"Rose call when you get there and settled." My mother said. My dad had wrapped his arms around her shoulder trying to comfort her.

"I will mom." I said hugging her. Dimitri was holding Jade but gave her my mother when she reached out her arms.

"I can't imagine not seeing all of you every day." she said. My mother had gotten very attached to my children. It was great having her around too. She'd watch over the kids when Dimitri and I needed some time alone.

"We will be back mom." Dimitri said to my mother. My dad took Jade so that my mom could hug Dimitri. Olena was already crying when Dimitri wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Be safe, all of you." Yeva said. She kissed everyone on the cheek and turned to leave. I swear I saw her eyes water over. I had never seen her cry and from the looks of it I never would. One by one we said our goodbyes.

"You have to stay here so I know what's happening." Tyrla said to a crouched down Victor with her hands holding his face. A few tears escaped from his eyes. Victor and Tyrla had a connection almost like Lissa and I. She wanted to know what was happening on this side of the world when she was in Montana. She had made Victor promise to ride Shadow and take care of her rose garden.

"What am I to do without you?" he said. Tyrla wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheeks.

"Just live. I love you Victor and I'll see you soon." She let him go and then ran to her grandpa.

"I love pa-pa." she told him. "You'll come visit right?" she asked him while she held him close.

"Of course. We all will." He told her setting her down. She had tears streaming down her cheeks now. But Nick gave everyone a hug, told them he'd miss them and said goodbye. He almost seemed mechanical. That was until he reached Olena. He hugged her longer and I even heard a sniffle escape from him. The two had become very close. Nick loved hearing her tell him stories of his father growing up. She also had taught him to speak Russian.

As the helicopter lifted off the ground we all waved back at our family on the roof top.

Dimitri's POV

All parents brought their children to the start of school so it wasn't surprising for us to be there. Mikhail rounded the corner and stop to talk to me.

"Are you teaching? It would be a great experience to the novices." He asked me.

"No, the children wouldn't let us. I guess they wanted their chance to blend in." I told him.

"That's too bad. I'll be training the novices and it would have been great to have you on the team." Mikhail said.

"Maybe later when the children are comfortable." I said with a smile.

"Well I'm off. Did you hear that the made Sonya headmistress?" he asked me.

"No I hadn't. That's great. So that's why your teaching here." I said laughing.

"Well, yeah. You'd do the same thing if it was Rose." He said. Mikhail hadn't been to the mansion for a month or so but they spent the holidays with us and birthday parties. They had become our good friends.

"Yes I would. I'll catch you later." We parted. Tyrla was looking around at her new surroundings with a huge smile. Nick was scanning his environment for any signs of a threat.

"I'll take Tyrla to her room. You guys can go find Nicks and we'll meet back up in twenty at the cafeteria." Roza said. Jade was in her stroller fast asleep at the moment. I kissed Roza's lips lightly and took off with Nick and Adrian while Viktoria followed Roza, Tyrla and Renee.

"Doesn't this place bring back some wicked memories?" Adrian said with a laugh.

"It sure does." I said thinking of the first time I had kissed Roza.

"Hey dad how much distance is there from the girl's dorms and the boys?" Nick asked. Adrian shook his head.

"It's almost a football field. They will be ok Nick. You really need to relax." I told him.

"Do you know what happens to guardians when they relax dad?" he asked. He didn't wait for my answer, "Their charge dies!" he said.

"Hey Nick this place is safe. You can't always be on guard." Adrian told him.

"We've been a lot of places that were supposed to be safe that were not." I just shook my head at Adrian letting him know there was no way to win this fight. He was and thought just like I did when I was his age. Hopefully one day a girl would pull him out of his one track mind and show him how to live, just like Roza had done for me.

A few students stopped walking by when they saw me and started whispering. When one walked up to me we stopped. "Are you Guardian Belikov?" the oldest boy asked.

"Yes I'm Dimitri Belikov. And you are?" I asked back.

"Oh I'm Joey Hurn. I'm a junior this year. Will you be training the novices?" he asked almost excited.

"No. I'll only be here for a few days." I told him.

"So what brings you here?" he asked confused.

"I've enrolled my son and daughter here and am at the moment taking him to his dorm." I said. Joey looked down at Nick who looked him straight in the eyes showing no fear.

"Oh. Hi." He said reaching out his hand to shake Nicks.

"Hello." Nick said back.

"This is Nick." Adrian said. Joey didn't seem to have anything to say after that point so we started walking towards the dorms. I could hear him telling his friend that Guardian Belikov children were now enrolled in this school.

Nicks room was on the second floor at the end of the hallway.

"This won't due dad. There's too many obstacles in the way if I need to get to the girls." Nick said mad.

"Nick I choose this room because actually it's the closest room to the girls. Look out your window." I told him knowing he would be able to see one side of the girl's dorms. "That window right there on the third floor is the girls'." I told him.

"Does this window open?" he asked looking at it.

"Yes. And you can use that roof top there to reach the girls." I said pointing to the lower rooftop of a building to the side of his window. He pushed the window open and looked out.

"Ok this will do." He said finally somewhat relaxing.

"I'm glad you think so. Now let's go. There's an assembly for new students with their parents we need to go to." I said.

We made our way back down noticing several student and parents stop and look at us.

"They must appreciate a good looking guy to be on this campus." Adrian said.

"Uncle Adrian you're weird. They are probably looking at my dad, the famous guardian." He told him. I couldn't tell him that they were most likely wondering about him and his skills. They probably thought he would be a great fighter because I was his father and they would be pretty much right. But Nick was better than a great fighter and I knew during his first training session people would start talking about him more.

Nick had made Mikhail purchase the swords we both have and train with us. He really wanted to show Mikhail his new techniques. I saw Roza and the girls walking our way. Roza was talking to Sonya and laughing. She looked so beautiful. She had worn a pair of stone washed jeans, a tight black tee-shirt with a v neck and a pair of boots. She looked more like a student than a mother.

Sonya was holding Jade and she was wide awake looking around. She was pointing at everything and saying look. When she saw me she clapped her hands and yelled da-da.

"Did you get them settled in?" I asked Roza kissing her cheek.

"Almost. We still need to put all their clothes away. Was Nick happy with his room?" she asked. We had called and had set it up that he had that room and the room the girls shared.

"Yes he's happy with it." I told her.

"Does he have a roomy?" she asked me. We both knew the likelihood of him having a roommate was slim.

"No not as right now anyway." I said to her with a smile.

We sat down in the gym where they had benches lined up for the parents and families of the new students. Of course the moment we walked in there were whispers and kids pointing. It wasn't just the students that found us interesting, there were several guardians watching us too.

"Welcome to a new school year." Sonya said into a microphone. "I hope everyone has found their rooms. You should have found on the desk in the dorm room an envelope with the child's name on it. This has their schedule. If for some reason you wish to change their schedule please do it now by going to the admissions office and requesting a change." She paused.

"This year we are proud to have a great staff dedicated to improving the students learning experience and for the novices we have Guardian Tanner for their training. Please understand that if your child is a novice that their training schedule cannot be changed. Each of Guardian Tanners classes are full. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience to you but we tried making it as fair as we could. We find ourselves this year admitting more novices than we had in several years." She smiled and then continued. "The students start their classes tomorrow and the parents are welcome to attend class with their child. This allows the parents the chance to see the curriculum and decide if they want their child in that class. Enjoy yourselves with your children for the day and helping them know the campus." She put the microphone down.  
>Parents started leaving but my family stayed put. As guardians we wanted to be the last to leave making sure there was no one behind us. Even Adrian and Viktoria didn't move knowing our routine. When we did finally get up we decided that eating something would be a good idea. We made our way to the food court. Lots of students and parents were mingling. Again when they saw us they stopped and starred.<p>

"Daddy why are they starring at us?" Tyrla asked grabbing hold on my hand. She seemed a bit scarred at the moment and Nick decided it wasn't something he liked seeing on his sister. He grabbed her other hand squeezing it.

"Because honey your different. Remember what we talked about before we decided to admit you into school." I told her.

"Tears, they just are afraid of the unknown. Don't let them upset you. Remember you said all you need is me and Renee." Nick told her as we took a seat.

"Ok." She said looking around. A few of the guardians she had changed back were now working at the school as guardians. They had done this knowing that Tyrla would be attending. One of them passed and stopped when he saw Tyrla. He went down on one knee and kissed the top of Tyrla's hand.

"Bill. How are you?" she asked him relaxing.

"I'm well. How are you?" he asked his savior.

"Scarred. They don't like me." she said looking around.

"Don't you worry about them. They only hear the rumors and not witness it. I'm sure they would feel differently about you if they knew someone who had been turned back by you." He stood and bowed before leaving. Several people watched their exchange wondering why he had bowed to someone who wasn't the queen.

We ordered some food and ate while people watched and whispered. I hated that Tyrla was scarred. She had never been scarred before and knowing the things she could do and had done this was nowhere near as scarring as them.

I saw Mikhail waiving at me urging me to come over. "Excuse me. Mikhail wants me." I got up and walked over.

"So it's all set up. Sonya is excited about taking Jade for the night. She's missed the little girl." He said with a smile.

"Thank you Mikhail." I said turning to look and see if Tyrla was alright.

"I won't let anything happen to her. Nick's going to be overprotective. I'm sure he's going to end up in a few fights but I can understand he's extremely protective of her." Mikhail said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. I just wish sometimes they could experience this like normal children." I said sadly.

"Dimitri even if they didn't have gifts they wouldn't be able to be normal. Just having you two as parents would make them different. Novices that are in my advanced classes are going to be very upset at Nick's training. I mean everyone expects him to be good because of you and Rose but when they see him fight they aren't going to know what to think and kids can be pretty mean."

"Just make sure when he does fight it's for a good reason. I'm sure he will but he still has a little of Rose's fighting attitude in him." We both laughed.

"So I'll see you around six." He said and left.

Rose's POV

After walking the children back to their dorm rooms and letting them get comfortable with their surroundings Dimitri steered me towards the main building. Adrian and Viktoria went to guest housing to get some sleep, I wasn't fooled.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. He just smiled at me but grabbed my hand and pulled. Jade was clapping her hands and pointing at the trees. We got to Sonya's office and he knocked lightly.

"Come in." she said on the other side of the door.

"Hi." I said still confused as to why we were here.

"Well it took you long enough." Mikhail said from the corner.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He just smiled and reached for Jade. I handed her over and loved it when she hugged him tight.

"We are watching her for the night." Sonya said walking around the desk and playing with Jade's hand.

"Oh, why?" I asked. Of course nobody answered.

"Come on Roza. I have a surprise for you." He said pulling me out the door. When we got outside and in the middle of the court yard he pulled a handkerchief out.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked. But he spun me around and wrapped the cloth around my eyes making everything go black.

"Just trust me." he said as he started leading me away.

"I always have." I said. We walked for what seemed forever. Once we stopped I heard a door opening with a creek. It smelled wonderful once the door was open. Someone had made steak and something else. He pulled me into the room and shut the door. He went behind me and started kissing down my neck. He pulled the blindfold off and at first I couldn't see anything.

When my eyes focused I found myself standing in the middle of our cabin. There was a table set up with candles and a grand dinner laid out. The whole place was lit up with candles. Lying on the bed was a new comforter and a bunch of pillows.

"There's something for you to change into in the bathroom." Dimitri said breathing down my neck sending chills all over me. He gave me a small push towards the bathroom door. I went inside and shut the door behind me. On the back of the door on a hanger was a black silk long dress. Instantly my hand went to it and felt the soft material slide through my fingers. On the floor next to the sink was a pair of black stilettos. I pulled my shirt off thanking myself for putting on a lacey black bra and underwear. When I was done taking my clothes off I slipped the silk dress on. It fit like a glove, hugging my curves. The front of the dress was cut low and on each side of the dress was a slit all the way up to my thighs.

I grabbed a brush and ran it through my hair a few times. On the counter was my makeup bag so I put some eye shadow on and sprayed myself with my favorite perfume. When I was done I opened the door and was shocked to see Dimitri had changed too. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt that he left open on the top. He looked me up and down smiling the whole time.

"You look beautiful." He said walking my way. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close. "Dance with me." he said and then spun me around. I just then realized that music was playing. We danced slowly together starring into each other's eyes. When the song was over he pulled out a chair for me and I sat down. He then went to the oven a pulled out the steaks I had smelled when we entered. He put one on my plate and one on his. The other side dishes were already on the table. I chose to have a salad and he had a baked potato.

"So what's all this for?" I asked him. Curious to why he had done all this.

"Today is the anniversary of the day I first made love to you." He said with a twinkle in his eye. I hadn't remembered the date but it meant enough to him that he did.

"Seems forever ago doesn't it?" I asked him remembering the way he made me feel when he first entered me.

"Yes but you have only grown more beautiful and sexy." He said to me. We ate a little more but I was so excited knowing what was coming. Having great sex in the place where it all started. He must have been reading my mind because he abandoned his meal and walked over to me. He got down on both his knees and turned me in my chair to him. With his hands he spread my legs and put himself between them. The front of the dress went between my legs exposing my legs.

His hand went to my knees and moved up to my thighs sending me into chills. I went to put my hands on his shoulders to bring him to me but he shook his head. He pulled on my legs scooting me to the edge of the seat. His mouth kissed my knee and then my thigh. With his hand he moved my dress out of the way. His hand went up the inside of my thigh to my underwear. With both his hands up my thigh to my hips his finger went to the inside of my underwear strap and he yanked hard causing my underwear to snap apart at my hips. He pulled them out and threw them to the floor.

His mouth went back to my knee as he kissed up my thigh, with one quick look at me he licked out at my hot, wet center. Immediately I started groaning as his tongue worked my clit. His hands held me in place at my hips as he licked me. When I started feeling the build up a bucked my hips. He clamped down on them with his hands and deepened his tongue on me. When he sucked on my clit and teethed it softly I bucked again. He continued to suck knowing I was at my peak. My hands grabbed his hair holding him to me. I started moaning louder and louder as I peaked and then went over the edge screaming out in pleasure.

He stood up with a noticeable hard on and pulled me up to his chest. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled it apart snapping all the buttons out. He started kissing down my neck letting his hands roam over the silk at my sides. Without a warning he picked me up grabbing me by the ass and lifting me to him. My lips crushed down on his and my hands tangled in his hair. One of his arms held me up while the other went across the table sending all the food to the floor. I heard a plate shatter but I didn't give a shit. He laid me on the table hovering over me as he kissed down my jaw to my neck and then to my breasts. While in the bathroom I had decided to go braless. When his hand went inside the dress to my breast he moaned feeling the skin. I pulled myself into a sitting position and undid his pants letting them fall to the ground. I pushed his boxers down and grabbed his huge dick.

He groaned and pushed my dress up and over me letting it fall to the ground. So there I was in nothing but my stilettos. His hand ran down the center of my breasts and then down further. He wrapped his hands around my thighs and pulled my body down to the edge of the table. He entered me and it still amazed me how large he was. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he continued to push inside me. His hands went to my hips and he thrust into me hard causing me to scream out. He loved hearing me scream because of him. My hands went to the side of the table as he slammed into me over and over again. My screams became louder when I could feel the pressure building again. He noticed and moved faster. My walls closed in on him and then I went over the edge screaming louder and then he went over the edge spilling his seed into me.

He clasped on top of me breathing hard. My arms wrapped around him as I too tried to catch my breath. He pulled out of me then picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and smashed my lips to his. We fell to the bed and started all over.

Tyrla's POV

"Do you want to go down to the living room?" Renee asked me.

"I'm not sure." I said a little scared.

"Tyrla you can't hide from them. Don't let them turn you until something you're not. You are not a scarred person, you never have been don't start now. Especially over stupid people." She said to me. It was funny she meant stupid as in not having the education we do.

"I guess you're right." I said knowing she was. I shouldn't let these kids make me scarred and hiding in my room.

"Then let's go. And remember they don't know the miracles you've done." She said as we walked out of our room.

"Yes they do." I said confused. Everyone knew I could turn Strigoi's back or kill them.

"Tyrla that's only one miracle. I'm talking about Victor, and your mother." She said to me.

"You know you are right. But why does everyone have to know what I do and not what Nick can do?" I asked.

"Because Nick is a fighter and he uses those gifts for that. It gives him an edge and if everyone knew they would know how to fight him better." She stopped talking the moment we walked into the living room. A few people stopped talking and looked at me almost looking scared.

"You must be Tyrla." A small voice said from behind me. I turned to see a girl that was younger than me, more like Renee's age.

"Yes I'm Tyrla Belikov. And you are?" I asked kindly.

"Oh my name is Wendy." She paused and looked down. When she met my eyes again she was blushing. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure." I said knowing what she was going to ask. But my mommy had told me to be honest to people on the things they knew about and nothing more. If people were going to accept me I had to be myself.

"Can you really change Strigoi's back?" she asked looking down again.

"Did someone ask you to ask her that?" Renee said with her hands on her hips.

"No. no one here will talk to me. Kirova was my grandma and they all think I'm going to go turn bad or something." She said looking around making sure nobody was listening. She was scarred.

"Are you going to go bad?" I asked her.

"Hell no." she said with passion. I believed her. it sounded like what had happened to uncle Christian when he was in school.

"Yes I can turn them back. It's actually quite beautiful." I told her.

"I saw that guardian bow to you earlier. Why did he do that?" even though this girl was asking questions I liked that she was. Instead of listening to rumors or talking behind my back she point blank asked me.

"I turned him back. They all think I'm their savior. They are really loyal to me now. And when I do change someone back they take a piece of me and I do of them. We end up with a connection for life." I told her. Her eye's went big.

"Wow. Really, that's kind of cool. What happens to those who don't want to be turned back?" she asked. I knew what people were hearing, that I had my parents kill them cruelly.

"Well if I can't find anything good in them or that they want to stay that way after I find their soul I simply release their soul. The Strigoi dies but the soul is at rest. There's no point in letting them live and I don't have my parents hurt them before they die." I said. I noticed that the room had gone silent and everyone was now listening to our conversation.

"Mind your own damn business." Renee yelled. This dorm was full of first through fifth grade. One of the fifth graders walked forward straight at Renee. All I could think was to stop her. But I waited to see if she was really going to hurt Renee. I searched her thoughts and feelings, she was really going to hit Renee and hard.

"Stop." I said softly when the girls arm drew back. In mid swing her hand stopped right before it hit Renee. "Put your hand down now." I said. The fifth graders eyes were darting everywhere trying to understand what was happening. I released her. She turned on me.

"You really are a little freak. Why don't you go back to where you came from!" she yelled.

"Why don't you shut up stupid." Renee yelled.

"And who are you another freak?" the big girl said.

"If being a freak means smart, pretty, thin and related to her than I guess yes I'm a freak." She said smiling. "You have a problem with that?"

"One of these days you won't be around that freak and then I'll teach you a lesson." The big fifth grader said.

"And what lesson would that be?" Nick asked from the door.

"Boy's aren't allowed in here." The girl said. "And who are you?"

"My name is Nick Belikov. That's my twin sister and my cousin, you have a problem with them you have one with me." he said confidently

"You think you could kick my ass? I don't care that you were trained by the best your still a little boy." She said cocky.

"You want to spare?" Nick asked.

"What's going on in here?" Mikhail asked looking over at Nick.

**Hoped you enjoyed. **


	2. Trouble

**I hoped you all enjoyed the first chapter. I don't own VA, no copyright intended. **

**For my faithful, awesome followers****! I would love to list you by name but worry that I might leave one out and don't want to not acknowledge that person. You all amaze me with you reviews and coming along with me to follow this story. THANK YOU!**

**8freya8****-****Honestly, reading the prequel to this story would help you out a lot. That's The Last Sacrifice- The Ending. It goes through the whole process of the powers each has as well as the powers Dimitri, Rose and Janine have. It also shows you the dynamic of the family. Tyrla and Nick are twins and are Dimitri's and Rose's children. They are extremely special children. Tyrla has a number of gifts including, being able to compel without eye contact, she knows souls and can turn a Strigoi back into a Dhampir or Moroi, with everyone she turns they are connected to her, she has several others gifts, pretty much a connection to all elements. Nick is SO much like Dimitri is when he has his mask on, he is faster than any other guardian and can talk to animals. Jade is also Dimitri's and Rose's child. Renee is Adrian's and Viktoria's child and Tristen is Lissa's and Christian's child. **

Rose's POV

I woke up in Dimitri's strong arms, both of us completely naked. He smiled at me and then kissed my head.

"Good morning beautiful. Did you sleep well." He asked me. I kissed his chest feeling him shiver under my lips.

"Very well. How did you sleep?" I asked still kissing him.

"I didn't wake up once." He said. His phone rang somewhere under the pile of clothes that stretched across the room. He jumped out of bed trying to find it which gave me a great view. "Dimitri Belikov." He said answering it.

I heard someone talking but couldn't make out what was being said. "Already? Is everything all right?" he asked. More talking on the other line. "Ok. We'll be there in ten minutes. Thanks Mikhail." He said laughing.

"What's wrong?" I asked pulling myself out of bed and looking for my pants.

"The kids got in a bit of a fight last night." He said laughing again.

"Why is this funny?" I asked pulling my pants on.

"Because it means your father wins the bet. Christian, Adrian, Abe and I made a bet. Victor wouldn't even play. But with Abe winning it means he's going to make us do something embarrassing." He laughed again.

"You bet that the kids would get into a fight. When did you think it would happen?" I asked pulling on my shirt. He was already pulling on his boots.

"I thought a day after we left, Christian thought in a week, Adrian thought in a month but Abe said the first day." I pulled my boots on and we walked out the door. Sidka was lying on the ground close to the door.

"Sidka, oh you miss her don't you?" I asked petting his head. He purred at me. "We are going to have to tell her he's out here. Maybe we can find some way so that he's in their room." I said looking at the sad cat.

"I don't see why not. There's that empty shed house behind the girls dorm maybe we could ask Sonya if he can stay there." Sidka followed us to the gates and scared the hell out of the guard. The guard pulled out his stake thinking that the cat would attack us.

"Guardian Holmes, he's with us." Dimitri told him. He put his stake away and opened the gate. But before we could get through it Sidka ran in taking off to find Tyrla.

"This can't be good." I said. We took off running to find him. I had remembered Tyrla's schedule and we headed to the math class she was in. It was too bad they didn't let her take a more advanced math class, she was going to get bored.

We opened the door to find Tyrla on her knees petting the large cat. "He won't hurt you, I promise." She begged to the class.

When the teacher a Mrs. Gum saw us she asked, "What is this doing in my classroom. It scarred the children." She said angry. I looked around and noticed they didn't seem too scarred but more awed at the animal. Some were even inching their way over to touch it.

"I'm sorry. The cat is her pet. He's a bit protective of her." Dimitri said. "Come along Sidka. We'll take him to her room for now. If we take him back out the gate he'll find another way in." he said. "Come Sidka." The cat got up after Tyrla kissed his head and followed us out the door. Once we were down the hall we couldn't help laughing. Our poor kids, they weren't starting off the school year very well.

We went to Sonya's office with Sidka. "Hello." I said as we entered the room. Jade was in her playpen playing with the horse Tyrla had given her before we left. When she saw Sidka she started reaching for him. I took her out of the pen and set her on the ground next to him.

"What is he doing here?" Mikhail asked. But the moment he talked the cat recognized his voice and pounced on him knocking him down to the ground and licked his face. We all laughed and when I heard a familiar voice I turned to see Nick sitting in a chair. The cat returned to Jade putting his large head in her lap. She loved petting him.

"I'm sorry mom and dad. But that fifth grader tried to hit Renee for sticking up for Tyrla and Tyrla had to stop her so now everyone knows she can compel." He said without a hint of regret.

"Sonya you knew this would happen. It's going to happen again. You can't keep interfering with them. The other students have to try to understand them without worrying about getting in trouble. Children and adults have a hard time accepting something new or change. It will run its course and hopefully die down in a few weeks." I told her.

"As long as Nick here promises to control himself. If there is a threat I understand attacking but he needs to remember he is in a league of his own when it comes to fighting. I don't want to see him hurt anyone. It will look bad on his record and be hard for him to find a guardian position in the future." She said.

"I'm not going to be anyone's guardian but Tyrla's and Renee's while we are all together. But in the end I will only guard Tyrla." Nick said.

"I don't understand. You don't want to be a guardian?" Sonya asked him.

"I will be, but to Tyrla." He said.

"Then why are you here?" she asked confused.

"Because I need the experience." He said to her.

"Sonya I told you how the boy was. He's here to see if he can learn something new and to interact with children his own age. And maybe teach me a thing or two." Mikhail said.

We told her about our idea for Sidka and Mikhail promised to keep him under control and hidden from the other children. She agreed to it and sent Nick back to class.

Around three was when Nick had his first training class. That was something I wanted to see. We went to the gym along with many parents who were still on campus. I think everyone was excited to see how Mikhail handled the children. I was pretty sure that a few of them wanted or hoped to see me and Dimitri spare and to see Nick.

All the novices that were in the class included a wide age range. This was a training technique, it allowed the younger to understand how to fight when a Strigoi was larger than them and it also helped the older students learn how to fight a Strigoi that was smaller. Of course when they interacted together the older students were to go easy on the younger ones.

"Good afternoon novices. My name is Guardian Tanner and I will be your instructor for training. First I would like everyone to go run twenty laps and come back here when done." The novices left to go outside to run. Dimitri and I stayed with Mikhail.

"Did Sidka behave?" Dimitri asked him. There were only five more parents that decided to wait for their child to finish running. The rest of the parents went to watch them. There were about thirty kids in the class.

"He finally settled down when I gave him one of Tyrla's pillows. I guess it smelled like her." he said. "Dimitri, did you bring your swords?" he asked. I knew that look he wanted to spare with him. I couldn't blame him, after all he had nobody to practice with since he'd been here. Dimitri smiled and walked over to him.

"Sure do." He said reaching behind him and pulling out both swords. Mikhail did the same. I noticed the parents that were talking with each other stop to watch. When the swords hit each other for the first time the loud clang echoed off the walls. They danced around hitting each other's swords, each trying to land a blow. That reminded me that we normally don't do this without a healer.

_Tyrla we need you in the gym. Uncle Mikhail and daddy are using their swords._

I picked up my phone and called Sonya and told her that Tyrla was needed in the gym. She agreed that was a smart idea and made sure the teacher in her arts class excused her.

Tyrla's POV

I was thankful that my mommy called for me. Art is defiantly not for me. I wanted to learn to paint so that I could paint a picture of what it looks like when I give back a soul but the paper was so flat and it was hard to imagine how I was going to make it come through.

I walked into the gym and sat down by my mommy taking Jade and setting her on my lap. I looked at my daddy and uncle to see a long cut on uncle Mikhail's chest, his upper thigh and his arm. My daddy had a cut down his arm but no more. He'd been practicing more than my uncle so of course he would be better. Novices from the class started coming in and all stopped, mouths hanging open watching my family.

Nicky had to go around the crowd just to get in the gym. When he came closer I noticed there was smile on his lips. Silly boys.

"Nick that took you longer than normal." My mom asked concerned. She probably expected him to show up before everyone else.

"Oh, yeah I didn't want to seem cocky so I ran forty-five laps instead." He said with a smile.

"And nobody noticed?" my mommy asked.

He shook his head watching daddy land another cut down Mikhail's arm. It was a deep one so I gave Jade back to mommy and jumped down. When I started walking towards them and they didn't see me I almost got hit with the tip of the blade. Time to control the situation.

Both of them stopped immediately when I took control of them. They both looked my way and I released them.

"Sorry Tyrla. We got a little carried away." Mikhail said as I put my hand on his hand letting the power run through me to heal him. I heard a few gasps but after what happened last night I realized that being scarred was not who I was. I also reminded myself that I didn't need any of them, I had my family. Next I held my daddy's hand and healed him too.

"Thank you." My daddy said.

"Your welcome." I said walking away. Daddy followed so that Mikhail could teach his class.

"Well class you just saw what I've been training with. It's pretty intense. You will not learn that in this class for two reasons. First is it's very hard to learn how and it's going to take every bit of your time to learn to be good guardian. Second is because those swords are not cheap."

I heard a few of the students make upset noises. A student raised his hand and I rolled my eyes. He was going to ask why Nicky had weapons strapped to his back.

"Yes." Mikhail said to the boy.

"Sir, why is that boy allowed to carry a weapon?" he asked pointing at my brother.

"That's a very good question. Nick do you mind showing them why." He asked him. Nicky jumped up with a huge smile. This was something he didn't care if the others thought he was showing off.

"Yes sir." Nicky said unsheathing his swords. I heard gasps again. They started circling each other, "Don't go easy on me." Nicky said spinning around and bringing his sword down cutting through Mikhails hand. Mikhail shook his head and the fight was on. Nicky flipped over Mikhail at one point causing the other students to say 'wow' or 'cool'. No matter what technique Mikhail used he couldn't land a blow to Nicky. Nicky made one quick turn, cut down Mikhail's upper arm. Mikhail dropped the sword in that hand. Nick took a step back and lowered his swords.

I jumped up and ran to Mikhail. I put my hand on his shoulder. I was a very deep cut and had cut a nerve causing him to loose feeling in his hand, that's why he dropped his sword. When I was done he moved his fingers making sure they still worked. He picked up his swords and sheathed them and Nicky did the same.

"You've gotten very good at that." He told Nicky.

"Thanks. I really like them better than a stake." Nicky told Mikhail.

"Does that explain why he's carrying them? Does anyone need more clarification?" Mikhail asked breathing a little heavy.

A kid did raise his hand, an older boy who looked like he was a senior. He was very tall. When Mikhail pointed to him he looked at Nicky not Mikhail. "What do you mean that you like them better than a stake? Have you used one?" he asked.

Nicky looked at Mikhail asking for permission to respond. Mikhail nodded his head to continue. "Well yes but never on a Strigoi. When I use my swords it feels like an extension of me. It's made from the same metal as a stake but I feel a stake leaves you wide open. That's just my opinion though."

"Guardian Tanner I have a request. I have been promised a guardian position as the queen's son. Well at least one of them. If Nick agrees to it can he give me extra lessons with the swords?" the boy asked. He was going to be Tristen's guardian. I couldn't see a reason why they wouldn't let Nicky teach him, it was a great idea and it meant that Tristen would be very much protected.

I looked over at my daddy. He looked very proud.

"So you must be Justin Simple?" Mikhail asked.

"Yes sir." Justin said.

"Well that's entirely up to Nick and his parents as well as your parents. We will discuss this later." Mikhail said. He instructed the classroom to pair up and showed them how to sweep their legs to knock their opponents out.

"Mommy is it alright if I go sit with Sidka for awhile? They don't need me here anymore and I could use some thinking time." I asked. My mommy knew when I asked for thinking time I was working something out.

"You ok honey?" she asked.

"Yes mommy." I said she kissed my forehead and let me leave.

Once outside where the courts were empty because there was still twenty minutes of the last class of the day I took in a deep breath. But I could feel someone's eyes on me and knew darn well who it was. That stupid fifth grader and she had a friend with her. Well there was no way I was going to let her make me feel like I needed to hide away. I wasn't going to let her or anyone for that matter make me a weakling.

I needed to remember that I was a Belikov and a Hathaway and between the two of them I was not a person to be pushed around. I decided that I didn't care if they knew all my gifts I wasn't going to let them push me down.

I could feel Sidka before I made it to the shed. Mikhail had caged it in and had given him a little grassy area to relax in. I opened the gate knowing the moment I did that girl was going to turn me around by grabbing my arm forcefully. She did.

"What do you want?" I asked rudely.

"I got in trouble for what happened last night and I don't like it. You are going to pay for it." She said.

"Listen, what's your name first off?" I asked her.

"Lori and people around here do what I say." She said taking a step towards me. Her friend moved with her like a good puppy on a leash.

"Listen Lori you really don't want to screw with me." I said.

"You don't scare me. You're nothing more than a freak and I can screw with you all I want." She said.

"Did you not learn anything last night?" I asked her. If she was smart she knew I could control her. "I mean you did realize that I can control you, right?" I asked.

"Only because you caught me off guard. I was taught to not let people like you take control." She said.

"Lori I'm not kidding. You really need to turn around and leave." I said taking a step towards her.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said grabbing me by my shirt and lifting me off the ground.

"You know I don't have to use any of my many gifts to get you to run the other way." I said cocky.

"I'm not running anywhere." She drew her hand back and that's when my Sidka roared. Lori's hand that was getting ready to hit me fell to her side and then she looked around me to see a very large mountain lion showing his teeth and growling.

"I told you. He won't hurt you if you put me down and leave." I said.

"He-he's yours?" she asked tripping over her words.

"Yes. I told you I don't need to use my powers. I'm warning you this one time, stay away from me, my brother and Renee because when I get mad, he gets mad and so do the forty guardians that work here that I healed from being a Strigoi." She dropped me and Sidka was at my side growling louder. "You better go." I said. She took off running with her friend ditching her running in an opposite direction.

"Your such a good kitty." I said hugging him around the neck. "Thanks."

"That took a lot of guts." My mom said showing herself. She had been hiding behind a tree.

"Where's Jade?" I asked.

"With her father. Tyrla I'm so proud of you." She said hugging me. "You know when I was a kid here people liked picking on me too." She told me.

"Really? I feel silly for letting them get to me yesterday. I'm not scared of anything." I told her. She sat on the ground using Sidka as a pillow and pulled me into her arms.

"Being scared happens to everyone Tyrla, it's nothing to be ashamed of. But I'm glad you stuck up for yourself. And you didn't even use one of your gifts. Using Sidka was a good idea. You didn't even call for your brother." She said pulling her hand through my hair.

"Mommy do you think I'm a freak?" I asked.

"Tyrla people are going to call you far worse things than a freak. I don't think you are a freak but you are very special and different. If being special and different makes people freaks than me, your father, your brother, Lissa, Adrian, your grandma and Christian are all the biggest freaks in the world." Mommy said laughing. I loved the way she looked at the world. After that time I was in her head I learned that my mother is a person who didn't care what people thought of her minus my daddy when they were younger.

"Things will calm down and people will start warming up but at the start of every school year it will start all over again. It won't be as bad as it is now. You know if you have any problems after we leave that uncle Mikhail and Sonya will be there for you. And no matter what and at any time you can talk to me." my mommy told me. The funny thing was I didn't need to pick up a phone to talk to her.

"How did you get through it when you were at school?" I asked her. A smile spread across her face.

"I got into a lot of trouble. I beat up a lot of people. You saw those memories." She said. I loved that about my mommy, she never lied. She could have told me she learned to be strong and to rely on her friends to get through those times.

"So as long as I'm sticking up for myself you won't be angry if I get in to trouble?" I asked her.

"Yep, but Tyrla you need to pick your battles. Your father and I feel the same way, you could be protecting yourself, Renee or someone who needs protecting and we won't punish you for it. Don't forget who you are through this. When kids are cruel it can really hurt and can get you down but you need to remember that you Tyrla have saved lives. You gave a man I thought was my enemy a second chance and now look at him. You brought me back from the darkness and you gave back souls. Those things aren't small things honey." She paused. "Sometimes I would wish you would or could've had a normal childhood but now looking at you I always knew when I had a child that they would be different, special. You are amazing Tyrla and I'm in awe of your strength and dedication to those you love and for helping perfect strangers." I smiled at her.

Dimitri's POV

Justin the boy who would be Tristen's guardian one day approached me. I actually liked the kid. Not many people had the nerve to come out and ask the obvious. I wished Adrian, Viktoria and Renee were here, they would like him too but Adrian wanted to take his girls shopping and buy something for Renee that would remind her that his love was unconditional. I smiled, Adrian had changed so much, his girls had him wrapped around their fingers."Guardian Belikov may I sit?" he asked.

"Sure." I said as I held my little angle.

"May I ask how much those swords cost? I have been saving money to buy me a stake that had my sister's name on it." He said sadly.

"You and your sister pretty close?" I asked him.

"Not anymore. She's a year younger than me. She went with her art class to Europe last year. They were attacked and I haven't heard or seen or since. I don't even know if she's dead or walking dead." He said.

"What's her name?" I asked him.

"Kyla. She was really pretty with blonde hair. She always knew how to make a person smile. Guardian Kirova told her she reminded her of Rose Hathaway when she broke a boys nose for grabbing her butt." He said with a smile. "That was before she left and turned Strigoi."

"Hey Nick." I said catching my son's attention. He walked over. I could tell he loved fighting with the others.

"Yes dad." He said.

"Would you call for Tyrla?" I asked him.

"Of course." He replied.

"So he has a connection to her?" Justin asked hesitantly.

"Yes because they are twins. But Tyrla has a lot of connections to others too." I told him.

"Do you mind if Nick teaches me how to fight with the swords?" he asked.

"How will your parents feel about that?" I asked. Pain flashed across his face.

"My parents were with Kyla." He said. "I'm legally responsible for my own actions as an adult." He said.

"I'm sorry Justin." I felt bad for this boy. But he seemed determined.

"It's alright. I buried them last year. So they are at peace, not being a Strigoi. But Kyla I still don't know what happened to her." he told me when Roza and Tyrla walked into the room.

"Hi. Tyrla honey this boy has lost his whole family. He buried his parents last year after they were attacked by Strigoi but his sister is still missing." I told her. She knew what I was asking for.

Tyrla's POV

I cracked a smile. This is what I do. This was me. It seems though that every time I walk into a room people stop and stare. Well they were going to get a show here in a minute.

"I need your hands." I told him. Connection makes this easier. "Nicky I'm going to need strength." I told him. I had only tried this once before and searching for a specific person was hard. He nodded his head.

"What are you going to do?" he asked me scared.

"I'm going to find," I grabbed his hands making him jump, "Kyla." Here's where the show starts. When I go searching for some odd reason my hands and the person's hands I was holding would glow so white that people would look away from the brightness. I waited for Justin to understand.

"Will it hurt?" he asked. I just smiled at him. It wasn't like it hurt badly but the invasion always caught people off guard.

I let myself relax and within a few seconds you could physically see Justin move back like a blast of air had hit him. I held on tight, this was the invasion and the only other time I tried it (which nobody knew about) the other person doesn't understand and tries to pull away. I closed my eyes before the white piercing light shot out. Justin staggered back again trying desperately to get me to release him. I could hear my mommy telling him it was ok.

Things started flashing before my eyes, Kyla at a park when she was five. I needed to push further and when I did I saw the attack. I watched as Justin's parents and the teacher kill five of the fifteen Strigoi that had attacked them. The teacher went down first and she was shortly dead after falling. Jake and Bonnie, Jason's parents didn't stop fighting until their last breath. Tears fell down my face at their dedication. Bonnie stood alone after Jake was killed. With what was left of her strength she slit her who neck with a broken piece of glass she had found on the ground. More tears fell down my cheeks, she wouldn't become one of them, that's all she could think about in those last few moments.

My attention was caught when I saw long blonde hair disappear around a corner. I followed and there is where the Strigoi had caught up to her. Two Strigoi drank hard and long from her neck. The next thing I saw was her blonde hair and bright red eyes looking directly at me. I released Justin and fell back into my daddy's arms.

"What, what did she see? What's wrong with her?" Justin said sounding very concerned for me. Tears streamed down my cheek. If Bonnie had let the Strigoi turn her I could have saved her. I saw her as a very brave women and proud to be a Dhampir.

"Give her a few minutes to catch her breath and get her strength back." Nicky said lying on the floor with my mommy next to him. The crowd of people had moved closer and watched us. Most of them looked shocked and interested in what had just happened. One mother held her boy tight trying to steer him away but the boy wouldn't go.

"Nicky are you ok?" I asked out of breath and still crying.

"Yes, Tears." He said trying to sound fine. "Tell him what he wants to know." He finished.

I looked at Jason who was standing next to me looking concerned for my crying. "You might want to sit down." I told him my daddy helped me sit up.

"They didn't give up. Your dad staked one and took his last breath. When he fell your mom was alone and pretty hurt. She refused to be one and with what little strength she had she, "I said starting to cry more.

"What Tyrla, please tell me." Jason begged.

"She slit her throat." I said my daddy bringing me to his chest.

"She sees it as clear as day. It's like she's standing there feeling everything around her. It's a little overwhelming." My brother told him.

"She stared them down, she was so proud, she was so mad she had to do that. But she wouldn't let them turn her. You should be very proud of your parents they didn't give up once." I told him.

"Kyla?" he asked in a whisper.

"We can save her." I said closing my eyes. I was exhausted.

"She needs some rest. They both do." My mom said. Mikhail picked up Nicky even though he was upset about it but he didn't have the strength to fight or argue. Daddy picked me up while mommy held Jade.

"But what does she mean, save her how?" Jason asked trailing behind us as we walked away.

"It means she's going to send her guardians to find her and bring her here. And then you'll see what she really does. Why people bow to her." My mom said walking away leaving Jason standing alone, tears streaking his face.

**Hope you enjoyed that. I'll update soon. **


	3. What I feared most

**Sorry for the wait. I don't own a thing but the plot and some of the characters. I hope you enjoy.**

Tyrla's POV

Mommy and daddy had been gone for only three days when I was sent to the office for compelling a boy so that he would stop beating up another boy. It really wasn't my fault. The boy who was getting beat up had been nice to me in history class. I didn't want to see him hurt. The boy doing the beating was yelling at him that he hung out with freaks, being me. I only made the boy punch himself a few times so he would know what it felt like.

"Tyrla you should have gotten a teacher. You really shouldn't compel others." Sonya said from the other side of the desk. "I won't call your parents this time but if it happens again I will have no choice. Run along to class and try to stay out of trouble." She told me.

The moment I was out the door Mikhail picked me up. "She only has to say those things because she's the headmistress. What you did was right, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He said to me. He was one of my biggest fans and knew I didn't ever hurt anyone when I compelled them.

"I know it's just I'm so tired of being told I can't help people. Nobody had a problem with it when I was saving souls or anything so why now? I don't understand." I told him.

"Tyrla nobody wants to see people treat you differently. I guess we just want you to be a kid for once." He told me kissing my cheek.

"I think that's never going to be possible. I've done too much to be a normal kid." And I really meant that. I wasn't normal and never would be so why pretend to be anything different than myself. Mommy had told me that things would be hard for me and now I understood why she told me that. I was going to end up in the headmistress's office probably more times than she ever was. I laughed internally at that, my mother was a trouble maker when she was here. I guess that means I'm just as bad as she was.

"You're probably right but for at the least a day try to be carefree." He said setting me down. "Sidka could probably use a walk in the forest for some lunch. I'll let your teacher know you won't be in class. Do you want me to get Nick for you so he can go with you?" Mikhail asked.

"No. I can handle it alone. Besides Nick has training class with you and you wanted to catch up on his sword technique." I said laughing. "He will always be able to kick your butt, you know that right?" I asked him still laughing.

"Yes Tyrla I do know that. Be back in time for dinner." He told me and walked away.

I made my way over to Sidka's cage and found him fast asleep. He woke up the moment I started opening the gate and pounced on me knocking me to the ground. He licked my face and nuzzled his nose into my hair.

"Hi big boy. You hungry?" I asked him. It would be so nice to understand him like Nicky does but I guess no matter what Sidka knew what I was saying so that made it easier.

I looked around making sure nobody was around and threw the leash I had in my pocket on the ground inside the cage. I hated putting it on him. He was a wild animal who had chosen me as his friend and I didn't believe caging him or putting him on a leash was right. The only reason I allowed him to have this cage was because it was something he wanted, Nicky told me so.

We walked to the outer limits of the gate to enter the forest. I noticed that a few students had been either skipping class or using the bathroom had stopped and looked at Sidka nervously. I wondered if Mikhail would allow the novices to fight with her. From what I could understand was that if I could have him than the Strigoi could have one too. I worried that Sidka could get hurt if we were up against something larger than him.

When I opened the gate to the forest Sidka took off running. I bet he was really hungry. I walked awhile knowing that when he was done he'd find me. I found a little pond where the light broke through the trees and lit it up sending light in all different directions. I sat down next to it and pulled my shoes off wanting to put them in the cool water. The cold water relaxed me while I closed my eyes in search for Kyla.

My guardians should be back soon with her. But before I changed her back I needed some answers from her. I would have to wait to change her because mommy and daddy had asked me to show those who were weary of me that what I did was a miracle. I hated showing those people I was more of a freak because no matter how many souls I did save they would always be nervous or scared around me. Nothing was going to change that.

Sidka found me and jumped in the water splashing it all over me. He was cleaning off the blood from some animal when he froze. His ears flattened and he barred his long teeth. He jumped out of the water and stood in front of me in a protective crouch. I looked around but didn't see anything or anyone. That didn't mean that there was nobody out there.

I stood up waiting for them to get close and to see what my guardians had found out. When they broke through the thick shrubs I noticed they had a person chained and were dragging them along. The person's eyes looked directly in mine and the red told me she was a Strigoi. This was Kyla. She looked like she had been in a very bad fight and had lost but had given her all. Her hair was different than the one I saw in her brother's head. She had cut it to her shoulders. She had also dyed it. Most of it was black but she had pink tips. I totally loved it. Too bad mommy would kick my butt if I even asked.

"You will all die! Let me go and fight me fairly, and then we will see who is better. I will have your blood before the day is over." She yelled at one of my guardians. His name was Grant and he was just smiling at her like he wasn't scared at all. I guess if one knew that if they had ever gotten changed again that they wouldn't stay that way long. So really they weren't afraid of anything, including dying.

"Settle down Kyla." I said taking control of her body. Her eyes darted around not understanding my hold, like everyone did. "I had you brought here because your brother worries about you and misses you." I told her.

Her expression changed for a split second as she quietly said, "Justin." My heart went out to her, there was still a bit of her in there under the Strigoi.

"I can help you Kyla." I told her as I walked close to her. "I can change you back."

"I don't want to be changed back! I'm better now!" she said as her soul screamed at me to set her free. I just smiled. As I stood there looking at her wondering where to start in my questioning, the Strigoi that I had been looking for since she went missing flashed in my head. She was nearby. I couldn't help the smile that played on my mouth.

"Well I had questions for you but you must have had a fan for they followed you here. Come out, come out where ever you are Alberta!" I yelled into the forest. I heard her evil laugh and shook from the nastiness of it. When she emerged from the thickness of the forest Sidka growled low in his throat.

She smiled the whole time she was looking at me and I could barely recognize her from my mommy's memories. I had felt she wasn't destroyed yet. Kirova on the other hand was destroyed sometime after the raid. My guess was that Alberta had had enough of her.

My warriors surrounded Alberta in a tight circle she would only be able to get away if she fought. She seemed to think about it for a moment and crouched down but when the guardians did the same she quickly stood back up.

"Well, well Tyrla. Seems you have quite the little gang following you now. Are you too afraid to face me alone?" she said with a smile.

"Alberta you know I don't need any help. They are here because they want to be." I told her. Out of nowhere this stabbing feeling to my gut had me doubling over. A few of my guardians ran to my side as I crumbled to the ground. Curling in on myself I screamed out in pain. This wasn't my pain it was someone I knew, someone I loved and was loved by.

"What's wrong Tyrla? Maybe someone you love is in trouble?" Alberta asked laughing. I looked over to Kyla who was being held by my guardians. I tried standing but my legs were weak with fright. I searched my loved ones but the pain was making it hard to concentrate. I pushed myself into a sitting position and grabbed my head trying to get control back and to cut myself off from the pain. A few minutes went by when I finally could manage to stand. Alberta was laughing the whole time as I fought for control, she knew something was happening to me and really seemed to enjoy my agony.

"What have you done Alberta?" I asked making my way over to her slowly still holding on to my middle section.

She stared to me down smiling. She stuck out her index finger moving it back and forth while she said, "Tisk, tisk sorry Tyrla but if I told you it would ruin the surprise." Her hand went to her side. The guardian to her left, Jack lost his control and hit Alberta hard across the face. Her head whipped back with a crack. The rest of the guardians grabbed her as I made my way to her.

"That's ok Alberta. The real you will be more than willing to tell me." I told her as my guardians pushed her down to her knees and I grabbed her face. Letting the power run through me I heard her scream out and then a flash of bright light that told me she was no longer a Strigoi. She collapsed to the ground struggling to catch her breath. I heard the struggle behind me and knew that Kyla was trying to get away but my guardians wouldn't let that happen.

"Alberta, it's alright. I'm here." I said as I wrapped my arms around her neck. She pulled me close and cried into my shoulder. I rubbed her back while she cried it out. I felt horrible because I didn't have time for this yet couldn't bring myself to push her for answers.

"Tylra I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." She said. "The things I have done, how could I do that to your family?"

"Alberta that wasn't you. Look around you all these guardians were once Strigoi too. They have felt what you have and they now have dedicated their lives to helping me find Strigoi. Your guilt will pass when you realize the actions you caused while Strigoi weren't your real actions." I said. Then I stood up and reached out my hand for her to take it. She looked up at me with tears running down her face. Hope flashed across her face as she reached up and grabbed my hand.

The guardians that weren't holding on to Kyla started clapping and giving encouraging remarks to her. Two of the guardians helped Alberta stand knowing that what had just happened took a lot of energy out of both me and the person I was helping. I turned to Kyla and made my way over to her.

"It's your turn Kyla." I said getting closer. She struggled against the guardians but couldn't break free. Again the guardians pushed her to her knees as I walked closer. I reached out my hands and she tried biting me. I pulled back quickly. "Ok if you want to play that way." I said as I took control over her body. My hands reached out again and held her face while I worked my miracle.

She collapsed and then screamed out. "Kyla, it's ok." I said. She was thrashing around like she was in pain. My hands wrapped around her and I almost wanted to hurl. She was in pain. She was also pregnant. I put my hands on her cheeks again and made her look at me.

"Kyla when did you become pregnant?" I asked her.

"When I was dhampir. They took tests and then changed me when they knew I was pregnant." She said crying. Alberta rushed over and fell to her knees in front of Kyla.

"This can't be right. She shouldn't be able to carry while a Strigoi. Tyrla wants going on?" Alberta asked me.

"My worst fears." I said. Looking into Kyla's eyes I searched her memories. I wanted to pull back when I saw her rape, I wanted to pull back again when I saw her change. Then I found what I was looking for a conversation about her still being able to carry the child of a Strigoi. A Strigoi I had changed back into a dhampir.

"Tyrla," Alberta said gravely. "They have Olena, Janine and Viktoria." She said with tears running down her cheek. "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault." I looked away from Kyla to Alberta. What was I going to do? I couldn't go back to the school and tell everyone what was going on. If everyone went looking then I would never find them in time. Also, I was really concerned why the rest of the family didn't know what was going on. Grandpa, Victor and Uncle Adrian would never let them go, so was something wrong with them? I searched for Victor but found nothing. Not even him if he had been turned again. Was he dead? No I couldn't think that way. Another thought caught me and I searched for my mom, again nothing.

"They are all missing." I said letting my own tears go. I cried while my guardians made plans to attack every Strigoi they came across. I cried while Alberta tried making plans to go back to the school and start a plan there. Sidka came to my side and whined. I reached out and started pulling on his ear. This was something I did when I was upset, it calmed me.

"No." I said softly, "NO!" I said louder when nobody seemed to hear me. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked down at me. "You will all go back to the school. Tell nobody for two hours so I have a good head start. Tell them not to follow me or look for me. Tell them to do this without question." I said pausing for a moment, "Tell Nicky to stay there and be ready to loan me strength." I finished.

"Tyrla you can't do this on your own. I can't let you go alone." Alberta said. I stood up and faced her. Letting the power build I opened my hands and with a quick opening of my hands everyone around me fell to the ground. I didn't hurt them just was letting them rest for twenty minutes so that I could get out of there. The only person I left standing was Kyla.

"What did you do to them?" she asked looking around worried for them.

"They are sleeping until we get a head start." I told her putting my shoes on.

"Why me?" she asked scared.

"Because I can't send you back to your brother while you carry that thing." I told her. She looked down to her stomach that was making odd shapes. "Kyla you're pregnant with a Strigoi baby, not a living breathing baby. I'm scared that thing will try and harm you now and I need to find a way to either release its soul or change it." I said standing up.

"Can you change it?" she said worried.

"Kyla, who's baby is that?" I asked. The way she sounded so sad that I might not be able to change it made me think that she wanted the baby.

"It was my boyfriend Leo. Well actually my fiancé. We were captured and he was turned immediately. He would come to my cell and take blood from me and then one day he took me. I didn't want to but I did. I missed him, the him that was soft and loving." She said.

"And what happened to him?" I asked hoping she would tell me he was still a Strigoi.

"They weren't happy he took me. They killed him in front of me." She said with tears. "That's when they found out I was pregnant and then they changed me."

"I'm so sorry. I could have brought him back." I said. "Come on we have to get moving."

Sidka growled at me, "I know. But it has to be this way. If they have my mommy and daddy than nobody but me can help them. We have to get to the mansion." I said to him. "We have to find where the rest are." I said.

We took off running for the school, well actually to the air strip. I was going to steal a plane. I sneaked around the gate and quickly opened it. I found one of my grandpa's jets and looked around for a pilot. Three planes down I saw one working on the landing gear of one of the jets.

"Excuse me." I said to him. "I need a pilot."

He stood up and turned to look at me. "Your Abe's granddaughter aren't you?" he asked. Kyla was hiding behind the plane, staying out of sight until I told her to come out.

"Yes and my grandpa is in trouble. I need you to take me to the mansion, now." I said.

"Um. I don't know if I should." He said taking a step back.

"Look, my family is in trouble and I need to help them alone. I don't want to compel you but I will. Please it's important that nobody here knows what I'm doing. They need to stay here for their own protection." I told him.

"Ok. Tyrla I'll help you but you need to call your parents and let them know your ok." He said. "By the way my name is Will."

"My parents are missing too." I said. Sidka came from behind the plane causing Will to take a few steps back. "He won't hurt you." I told him as I boarded the plane, Sida following me, Kyla behind him.

Before leaving for home I stopped at the house my parents rented close to the school. I found Jade screaming on the floor. She had blood on her. I searched her for wounds but found none. How in the world would my parents get attacked and loose? What happened to their powers? Kyla held on to Jade while I searched the room for clues. What I found was left overs from the dinner they had eaten only hours before. The thing was though the food was poisoned. I don't know how I knew I just did.

Dimitri's POV

My head was pounding and I was so cold I couldn't move. I opened my eyes to see nothing but blackness. I reached my hands out feeling for anything but only came up with cold hard walls. There wasn't even a door anywhere in the room. I heard a moan from somewhere in the center of the room. I got down on my hands and knees and made my way to the sound. It sounded like my Roza.

"Roza? Is that you honey?" I asked. My hand came into contact with a leg and I immediately knew it was Roza.

"Dimitri. I'm so cold." She said softly. Under my hand she was shaking so much I would have thought she was having a seizure or something but I was very cold too. I pulled her to me and didn't miss the groan she made.

"Are you hurt?" I asked her.

"My shoulder hurts. Where is Jade? Oh god I hope she's ok." She said scared.

"Me too Roza. We are in a room with no doors. That's all I know." I told her.

"What happened?" she asked snuggling up against me. I wrapped my arms around her trying to keep her warm.

"I don't know. I don't even remember falling asleep." I told her.

"Dimitri how could we be captured?" she asked me.

"Roza whatever happened we will figure it out. For now let's try to get you warm." I said. My head was hurting very bad and I groaned softly.

"Dimitri are you alright?" she asked me putting her cold hand on my cheek.

"My head just hurts a lot. Don't worry I'm alright." I told her. I didn't want to scare her with how much my head really did hurt. It also was so cold I wasn't sure I could warm her.

"I want my little girl." She said. I could hear the tears she was about to shed in her voice.

"I do to Roza." I said to her hoping the all was well with Jade. We both stopped moving when we heard noise coming from above us. "Quiet Roza and don't let go of me." I whispered to her. She nodded her head against my chest.

Something sounding like metal moving echoed in our holding cell and then light so bright poured in. we both covered our faces. And then she was screaming. My hands went out to grab her but she was being lifted above me and I couldn't move fast enough because of the cold to catch her before they had her out and gone.

They left the top half open and for a minute I was hoping this was some kind of mistake. I tried standing and finally did minutes later only to have water dumped on my head. I hit the ground hard shivering.

"You see the cold keeps you weak. Kind found that by mistake." A male voice said and then laughed.

"Where's my daughter? What are you doing with Rose?" I asked trying to get up yet again.

"Oh, Jade. Well you see we had to leave somewhat of a trail. I'm not sure if the other Strigoi had a snack or she's still there in your home dying of hunger. As for your wife we are doing a little experiment." He said.

"Don't hurt her! I swear if you do, I'll kill you!" I yelled.

"Now, now Dimitri. You're in no state to be making threats. I'd be careful. We think if we change you and she becomes pregnant with your child she would be caring a Strigoi with the both of yours awesome powers. As of now we are just testing her blood, having a small snack and seeing if she can withstand great pain." He said. Not a moment later I heard Roza scream out in so much pain it brought tears to my eyes.

"Stop! Take me instead!" I yelled.

"You'll get your turn." He said. More screams came and went. I even heard her beg for death. My Roza begging for death. I couldn't even imagine what kinds of torture they were doing to her to make her that desperate. What seemed hours later the screaming stopped and she was lowered into the hole.

I pulled her into my arms. "Roza, honey are you alright?" I asked. I know it was the stupidest question to ask but I didn't know what else to say. I was scared she might have died up there. She cried more out of pain than fear. I wanted to know what happened but was too afraid that the answer would kill me.

"Dimitri we have to get out of here!" she said between sobs. "They did a lot of blood tests. They did some kind of reproductive test." She said.

"Oh god Roza. I won't let them take you again." I said holding her tight to my chest as she shook under me. This cold room was going to end up as our grave if we didn't do something fast.

Tyrla's POV

I woke screaming. The pain was so much I leaned over and emptied my stomach onto the floor of the plane. My mom's face flashed before me, the tears streaking down her face made my heart hurt. I had but once seen her like this and that was when I was stuck in her head. But that person was almost a child compared to the person my mom was now. She was scared Jade was dead, she wanted death several times and she worried about what daddy would be put through.

I had to put her mind at ease. I closed my eyes and hoped that Nicky was ready to give me some strength. I didn't know where mommy was but somehow I was going to get a message to her. Thankfully Nicky was asleep so he wouldn't even know I took from him or give him the chance to track me. I took as much as I could without causing him pain.

_Mommy, Jade is with me. Please hear me. I'm on my way. Concentrate and take in everything you can so I can find you. Don't worry mommy I won't let anything happen to you. I'm coming. Please hear me, please mommy. I'm coming._

I could only hope she got that message. Normally I could feel when she did and get a response out of her but something was making that almost impossible to do. What I didn't expect while sitting there trying to figure out what was going on was Nicky's voice in my head.

_FOUND YOU!_


	4. Best Friend

**Because I made you wait so long here's another one. Hope you enjoy it. I don't own a thing. Now this chapter might upset a few but there can't always be a happy ending. I hope you don't get too mad. It wasn't easy doing what I did.**

Tyrla's POV

By the time we made it to the mansion Jade was crying for mommy and daddy. We landed on the open grounds outside the gates to the mansion. The moment she saw the house she thought that we would find them there and took off running through the gates towards the house. She tried running into the house ahead of me. I had to stop her and hand her to Kyla as she kicked and screamed to be put down. Kyla hadn't said much since we left and I could see the worry on her face once she saw the front door broken down.

"Wait here with Jade. I'll be right back. Stay and protect them Sidka." I said as I entered. I carefully made my way around the broken door and into the house. It looked like every inch of the place was searched and destroyed.

"I thought I'd find you here." I whirled around to find Nicky standing in the room off to the right glaring at me.

"Nicky you weren't supposed to come." I said running to him and hugging him. "How did you find me?" I asked him releasing him.

"You aren't the only one who can find people Tears." He said with a small smile.

"You mean you can too. How'd you get here so fast?" I asked surprised that Nicky had so many secrets. I didn't know what to expect from him anymore.

"The same way mom used to get around only I can do it better. You know you tell too many people your secrets." He said pulling me towards the fireplace where the door to the compound was. "Look." He said pointing at it.

Blood covered the door. It was like someone was angry they couldn't get in and beat their fists against it until blood covered every inch.

"Are they in there?" I asked not really knowing who I was asking about.

"There's only one way to find out." He said getting closer to the door. But neither one of us had ever had access to the door.

"Nicky, how?" I asked confused. He turned to look at me and shook his head at me. Then without saying a word he walked right through the thing. "Nicky! Nicky please!"

The door slowly opened and he was reaching out his hand to take mine. He laughed at me when I glared at him. What other secret talents did he have?

"Tears you should see the look on your face." He said laughing.

"It's not funny. You would think my twin brother would tell me the cool things he could do." I said mad.

"Ya right. And end up with everyone asking favors of me. I don't think so. Besides being mysterious I hear is attractive." He said pulling me down the long hallway to the bottom.

I looked over at him. Attractive, he didn't need to be mysterious to be considered attractive. Silly boys. "That's the beauty of it Nicky. Helping people." I said. He pulled me close all of a sudden and covered my mouth. That's when I could feel them. Strigoi. Lots of them too.

"Nicky what are we going to do?" I asked. I could change them all but that would take a lot of strength from me and from Nicky.

"Stay here." He said and disappeared again. I wish he wouldn't do that.

That's when I heard grunts and thuds coming from the other room. It wasn't even two minutes later that Nicky walked around the corner, not a drop of blood on him and putting his swords back in their holders on his back.

"How many?" I asked.

"About seventeen. They were trapped down here by Adrian and grandpa." He said pulling me towards the mess. "Victor is really hurt and needs help." He said still pulling me because the moment he said Victor I stopped moving. "Tears he's going to die if we don't hurry." He said.

When we came to one of the rooms off the main area someone had chained him to the wall and cuts, bites and who knows what else was covering him. I ran to his side and lifted his face so he was looking at me.

"Tyrla, you're here." He said shaky. "You must leave they are waiting for you." He said.

"No Victor I killed them all." Nicky said as he gathered some water and strips of cloths.

"You? But there were so many." He said as I tried finding a way to release him from the wall.

"Victor Nicky's been keeping secrets." I said.

"Step back Tears." Nicky said in a serious voice.

"What, why?" I asked.

"Now Tears." He said calmly.

When I moved he pulled out his swords and in a movement I couldn't even catch he cut at something and then put them back. Then the sound of the chain hitting the ground caught my attention. I looked at Victor and Nicky rushed to his side before he hit the ground.

He laid him on the cold hard ground. "Now Tears, heal him." He said. "I'm going to go get Jade and Kyla. I'll be right back." He said then left the room.

"Thank you for coming." Victor said reaching up and putting his hand on my cheek.

"Victor don't be silly. I will always come to your rescue." I said as I covered his hand with mine. I let the power flow through me and watched as the sores, scratches, and bites heal. "What happened here?" I asked.

"The house came under attack. The guardians took most of them down but more came. It was an army of Strigoi. I told Adrian to lead them down here and then lock the door." He said trying to get up. "I couldn't get out. That's when I heard the screams. Olena, Victoria, Yeva and Janine crying out and then I heard Adrian, Abe and some of the other guardians go silent."

"Why would they take them? They found mommy and daddy too and toke them. We have to find them all. Something bad is going to happen." I told him helping him to his feet.

"Stay here with Tyrla. I'm going to look around." Nicky said showing Kyla and Jade into the room. Jade saw Victor and ran for him crying. He pulled her up and hugged her trying to reassure her that mommy and daddy would be ok.

"Where's Sidka?" I asked.

"Checking the perimeter." He said.

Nicky was only gone for three minutes when we all heard his blood piercing scream. I ran from the room even as Victor tried stopping me. I ran to the area of his scream and came to one of the large living room areas. I didn't see any danger or feel anything either but I did hear his soft sobs. I quietly moved around the turned over couch and found him on his knees holding someone to him. I didn't let him know I was there. There was only one person other than me that would cause Nicky to cry like this, Nan.

"No gran. Please don't leave me. Please." Nicky cried. He buried his face to her hair and cried louder.

"Nick my heart warms to see you. I will always be with you." I heard her tell him softly and nothing more than a whisper. "Nick you must hurry. Your family is in danger." She said.

"Yeva, don't you give up! Do you hear me, fight!" Nicky almost yelled. I rushed forward but when I put my hands on her to heal her I felt nothing, no power, no healing, just nothing. It was like this was what was meant to happen and nothing I did would save her. Gran's hand lifted and squeezed Nicky's and then she went limp. "NOOOO. Gran please, no!" Nicky cried. He shook her trying to get a response out of her but nothing happened. "Gran, please." Nicky cried. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"She's in a better place Nicky." I said. I couldn't save her. I couldn't save one of my own family members, someone who my brother loved so much he cried.

"Leave me!" Nicky said in a scary voice. "Now!"

"Nicky" I said crying thinking he was mad because I couldn't save her.

"Tyrla get out of here!" I tried wrapping my arms around him but he pushed me away. "Tears, leave."

I turned and walked out of the room tears streaking down my face. I loved Yeva with all my heart but her and Nicky had a connection that I couldn't understand. She saw through the hard shell and with her he was able to see the small things. She was the reason he didn't take everything so seriously. She was the reason that Nicky tried acting like a kid and not some guardian who could take on the world.

Halfway between the room where I left Nicky and the room with Victor and the others were I crumpled against the wall to the floor. What was to become of us all? What was Nicky going to turn into without gran? If we hadn't begged to go to school then maybe none of this would have happened. I curled in hugging my knees to my chest feeling helpless and for the first time mad that all these powers didn't make a difference when it mattered to me. I don't know how long I sat there and cried but I eventually did get up and make my way to Victor.

I walked into the room, my eyes still red from crying. "Tyrla what's wrong?" Victor asked rushing to my side. He dropped to his knees to look me in the eyes both of his hands grasped my arms.

"Gran is dead." I said crying again.

Dimitri's POV

Again I heard the screeching of the top opening. I wasn't going to let them take her again. We held on to each other as what felt like twenty gallons of water was dumped on us. But I still wouldn't let her go and she wouldn't let me go.

"Hold on Roza!" I said watching something being lowered into the hole above. I realized what it was when I say the electric current sparked between two metal rods. Shit! It hit the water causing me to release Roza and us both falling to the ground. All my muscles screamed and contracted. It hurt like hell. I tried finding Roza but my vision was so blurry I couldn't see anything but black spots. My back arched as the electricity moved through my veins. I couldn't even scream out because my jaw was locked.

Without warning I was being lifted up. The electric current stopped and I heard Roza screaming my name. As soon as I was above ground I could feel my powers coming to me. I kicked the person to my right sending him flying across the room and into a wall. A quick look around and I could see we were in some kind of military bunker. The room was circular with more holes leading down than just the one I was in. There were three doors leaving the circle room but all were closed at the moment. I threw a punch at a Strigoi coming my way in the chest. I could feel the power building, could feel I almost went through his chest.

There was screaming all around me as I tried to search for a way to kill them all. I only got one more hit in when water covered me and again I was shocked. Someone laughed and I swore I knew the voice. My back arched but I tried to stay standing until someone kicked me hard in the chest causing me to fly backwards. My head hit the side opening of the hole and I fell down hitting the cement below so hard it knocked the wind out of me.

"Get the door closed! Seal them off!" Someone yelled. But I was no longer a threat to them. My powers were gone again and not only was I in pain from my head and fall now I was cold again.

"Dimitri what happened?" Roza asked trying to help me up. "Are you alright?"

I tried moving my leg but knew instantly that I broke something. It felt like my ankle was broken. I pushed with my other foot to get closer to Roza.

"I got my powers once I was out of this hole." I whispered to her. "We need to get out of here." I said trying to pull whatever energy I had left and look around. "Don't you feel like you get your powers once you're up there?" I asked her.

"For a split second and then the shock me. I wonder why they waited with you. While they are shocking me someone always injects me with something. It only takes a few minutes but I'm out. It also doesn't last long but when I wake I'm in a room with strange walls and I have no powers." She told me.

"I swear someone up there I know. His laugh, I know that laugh." I told her.

"I haven't heard or seen anyone that I would know. But I'm pretty out of it or being put through so much pain all I do is scream." She told me and I winced knowing the sound of her scream. They left that damn hatch open just so I could hear her.

"I think these walls and those walls you're talking about are lined with some kind of material that sucks up our powers. There are things out there that can do that." I said rubbing my ankle. I found the break and pushed hard until it was back to where it should be. The loud snap caught Roza's attention.

"Dimitri your hurt." She said reaching for where the sound came from seeing how we still were in the pitch dark.

"It's alright Roza." I said putting my hands on either side of her beautiful face. Pulling her to me I kissed her. She kissed me back and I think we both were thinking we didn't know if we were ever going to make it out of here.

Tyrla's POV

I searched and searched the house for Nick, not wanting to do it the easy way and feel for him. With gran dead I didn't want to invade his thoughts. What I didn't expect was to find him in the training room talking to someone.

"I know." He said. I looked around and didn't see anyone.

"How?" he asked. He paused for a period of time. "Well I never thought I could do that." He said. He paused again and I watched a smile spread across his face. "Yes Nan. I promise." He said.

"Nicky?" I said walking into the room. He looked at me and the hurt that was once there was gone. "Who were you just talking to?"

"Gran of course. It seems she wasn't ready to leave me just yet." He said pulling out his swords and making a swift move. It was weird; I'm the one who has the connection to the dead. Nicky keeps so many secrets.

"Nicky, why don't you trust me with your secrets?" I asked a bit hurt.

"Tears, it's not that I don't trust you it's just I don't feel the need to shout it to the world what I can do. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like I hide things from you."

"Then what else can you do?" I asked. But the look on his face said first he wasn't going to tell me and second I'd find out soon enough. "Fine. We need to move. We have to find the rest of them."

"Not until I burry gran. Then I'll show you were they are." He told me. But how could he know and I not know. Uggg, I hate not knowing.

"Wait you know where they are? How? I can't even get a lock on them." I all but yelled. "They somehow blocked me, how?"

"Because dad insisted that we put locator beacons in our swords." He said with a cocky smile. "I'm sure he doesn't have his right this moment but I'm sure who ever took them would think they were cool and want to keep them." He said then he was slicing his sword in the air while doing some weird twist thing in the air thing.

"Whoever has them found a way to block you. I would think some kind of metal or something like that. We are leaving Jade, Kyla and Victor here. I want to go alone but like me I know you would just follow." He said.

"Your that mad at me that you don't want me around?" I asked looking at my feet. I didn't hear him move but a second later he put his hand under my chin lifting it so I would look at him.

"Mad at you for what?" he asked me.

"For not saving gran. I tried, I swear I did." I said starting to cry. He wrapped his arms around me hugging me.

"Tears it was fate. And even though she wasn't ready to leave it was still her time. There was nothing you could have done." He said releasing me.

"So you're not mad at me?" I asked again.

"No Tears I'm not mad. But we need to get moving." He said walking back to the middle of the room. He squatted and did one of his really cool moves.

"Well where are we going?" I asked.

"California." He said putting his swords away.

Rose's POV

It had been days since someone tried taking me or Dimitri. They threw food down the hole and our only source of water was what they dumped on us every few hours. The door opened again, water poured down on us. Every time it felt like more water than the time before and heavier.

"In a few hours Rose we are coming to get you." Some deep voice said and then laughed. While the door was open and food was being dumped we heard a scream. Dimitri sprang to his feet then pulled his left leg up hurting because of the break.

"Viktoria!" he yelled. She just kept screaming. We then could hear Adrian screaming her name in pain. So much pain came from his voice it made me want to cry.

"Try to sleep!" Adrian screamed. "Viktoria!" He yelled again his voice bouncing off the walls. Then our hatch was closed and everything went silent and dark.

"What are they doing to her?" Dimitri asked in a very unusual voice. Worried and mad at the same time. "What did Adrian mean?"

"He wants to visit in our dreams." I told him. "You should do it. You haven't gotten any rest and it will probably be easier for you to fall asleep."

"Roza, I don't want to leave you unprotected." He said sitting back down. He always put my face in his hands so he knew he was looking at me.

"Dimitri, you'll be in my arms. The moment anything happens you'll know. Now hurry up before they drop water on us and you're too cold to sleep." I told him.

"I love you Roza, you know that." He said laying his head in my lap. My hand instantly went to his soft hair where I started running my fingers through it.

"Yes I know. I love you more" I said watching his eyes slide shut and him make a snort noise.

Dimitri's POV

I was amazed at how quickly I fell asleep. But relaxing in Roza's arms always comforted me. The scene at first was nothing but black and whites. I was searching for Adrian thinking he would be here where ever here is. Then things turned green, trees sprouted around me and then roses. I really didn't give a damn what the scene was but those roses reminded me of my little girl and I reached for them.

"I sure did have a hard time getting to you." Adrian said behind me. I turned and his image wasn't solid, more like a flicker.

"What's wrong with you" I asked.

"Took a lot to get past whatever they have surrounding you." He said.

"Well get rid of the scenery that might help." And with that we were standing in a white room. "It's a little better but your still kind of fuzzy." I told him. Nice thing about being in dream land was I could walk and see something other than blackness.

"Well deal with it. Look we have to find some way to get the hell out of here. They're going to try and get Rose and Viktoria pregnant. And from what I could hear and see was that there's a certain old school teacher that wants Rose badly." He said. I felt like I was going to hurl.

"The voice I recognized it was Stan Alto." My insides turned. "He made a comment back when me and Victor were at the other mansion about wanting her. Do you have a plan?" I asked both scared and angry.

"No. I was hoping together we could come up with something. I don't think we have any time to wait. They plan on doing one or two more tests and then they're going for it whether it kills the girls or not. They don't care. They see some sort of danger coming and want to be ready. They want to make a army of kids with you and Roses blood." He told me.

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"Because they keep taking me up there to test my blood. For what reasons I don't know but I've seen women, not Strigoi's in cages. Some of them look pregnant already and others well let's just say I won't get that image out of my head." he shook his head looking like he was trying to shake a memory.

"Adrian I have no powers down in that hole and when I'm up top they electrocuted me and pushed me back in the damn hole. I also have a broken ankle which isn't healing like it should because they keep us wet and freezing." I said.

"What about Rose? Do they take her up there?" he asked me pacing.

"Yes but they sedate her immediately. She can't do anything to protect herself." I started pacing as well trying to come up with something useful. "I think they really want the twins but couldn't get them. They are doing ovulating tests on Roza." I said closing my eyes.

"Ya they're doing the same to Viktoria. She's scared to death. They think if they combine your blood with hers, take your seed and impregnate her they'll get some kind of super baby." Adrian said sadly.

"We aren't getting anywhere and soon they will throw more water on us and I'll wake. So what options do we have?" I said getting frustrated. We stood there both staring off at nothing trying to come up with something. "What's that?" I asked Adrian pointing in the distance where a white blur was coming towards us.

"I don't know. I'm not doing it. It's like someone is trying to join the conversation without my permission." He said staring at the thing coming our way. The closer it got the more it started looking like a figure.

"Don't worry children. Your salvation will come. You just need to hold on to those you love." My grandma said smiling.

"Yeva, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I have joined a new world. It's much easier to see what is to come and to get around." She said putting her hand on my cheek . "Don't let go of her. Don't let them take them. You just need time."

"Time we don't have!" I said. "Yeva how are you here? I don't understand a new world." I said.

"There's always time. Find some way to stall them." She said taking a seat at a bench that wasn't there a moment ago. "The land of the dead boy. It's very beautiful."

"You mean you're dead?" I asked panicked.

"Yes." She said with a smile. "You must find time boy. You must." she said putting her hands on my face wiping a tear that fell.

"Nan how do we get out of here? Where are the rest of the family?" I asked.

Just then I shot straight up coughing from the cold water that went down my throat. I looked up to Roza still hoping to see her face. Just once I wanted to see her beautiful face, to look deep in her eyes and see the love she had for me there.

"What happened Dimitri? You were crying." She asked me.

Tyrla's POV

We stood over gran's grave, just me and Nicky. Nicky had used his swords to clear a spot just outside the gates. He said this would be the family grave site. Victor was in the house grabbing what he could to bring down to the compound. Jade was happier being with him but really wouldn't stop asking about mommy and daddy. We told her they were doing a special thing and that they would bring her home a cool toy when they got back. She clapped her hands and let the subject go.

"I'm going to miss her." Nicky said.

"She'll always be with you Nicky." I told him.

"I just wish I was here to kill the animal that hurt her." he said. He looked down on the mound of dirt that covered her. He had made a grave stone out of some really thick rock. He had used those damn swords of his to create it and to write the inscription on it. It said 'For a loving, gentle, strong woman who made everyone she touched feel empowered, brave and worth something. You will never be forgotten and your memory will reside in us all'. I thought it was sweet. I think he really wanted to make it a bit longer but there would be no room.

He stood there and then said, "gran I promise you, I will never give up the fight. I promise to remember the things you taught me. I promise to let my heart lead me. And I promise you with everything in me that those who did this to you that took you from me will pay and pay dearly." When he was finished he threw the white rose I had gotten him on the top of the grave.

"Bye gran." I said turning and leaving him. I had only taken a few steps and heard him say 'I love you gran.' The tears started falling for me and I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going until I was grabbed and a burning started at my throat. Things started getting fuzzy but I still could see.

"Tyrla!" Nicky screamed. With a blur he was behind the Strigoi slicing his head off. I fell to the ground grabbing at my neck. I looked around and saw at least ten Strigoi's coming towards us. The way Nicky moved had me forgetting all about my injury and wanting to see every move he made. It was beautiful. Two Strigoi's stepped forward and Nicky went into motion. He jumped in the air doing a flip with his blades moving so fast it looked like a stream of light. They made contact with the Strigoi's neck taking off their heads. Just to make sure they were done when he landed he stabbed both swords backwards making them go through the chest of the two that lost their heads and piercing their hearts.

He quickly pulled them out and squared off with three more coming at him. The one on the left moved fast towards him but Nicky moved faster. He spun around the sword in his left hand stretched out and the other tucked under his arm. He bent his elbow and landed a blow to the Strigoi's head. The movements made that tucked blade slash through the throat spraying blood everywhere. With the other he plunged through the Strigoi's heart. The two others lunged for Nicky but Nicky flattened himself on the ground and then he stabbed his swords up while the Strigoi went by, slicing them in half. It was so gross and cool at the same time.

Nicky had been training for years and hadn't fought like this before but he seemed to be better than what I thought he was. Two Strigoi must have thought hell no and took off running. Nicky reached to his side and grabbed a few of the sharp stars and threw them. They fanned out and one of them went right through the Strigoi's chest and a second later his heart was pinned to a tree with a star in it. The other stars hit the other Strigoi in the shoulder and neck. He reached behind him trying to remove it. They were made of the same material as the stakes and the Strigoi started screaming from the pain. Nicky moved fast and put one of his swords through his chest and heart.

The rest of the Strigoi moved in on him together. There ended up being four left making a total of eleven Strigoi. They circled him but Nicky just smiled while moving in a circle too. Then Nicky went ghost looking, his swords slicing through the air. He was moving so fast I couldn't see him but caught glimpses of his swords. When he was solid again he looked at the Strigoi with a half smile and looked down urging them to do the same. On the ground in front of them were their hearts. One by one they dropped to the ground dead.

He rushed to my side and put his hand on my neck. Little did I know I was bleeding pretty bad but was too drawn to his dance, and that's what it was a dance. It was beautiful and he moved like liquid. His image started getting fuzzy around the edges.

"Tears don't you go to sleep on me." he said putting pressure on my neck frantically looking around. Why did he sound so scared? Was I dying? I looked down and my shirt it was covered in blood, a lot of blood. His hands were red like he had put them in red paint. I felt fine, well I was tired and I felt like I was calm. "Tyrla, stay with me." he said my name, my real name. I could hear him but his voice sounded like an echo. "NO Tyrla." I coughed and felt the warm liquid go down my throat. Then everything went white.

"It's not your time child." Gran said to me standing in the middle of a rose garden, my rose garden.

"Am I dead?" I asked looking around. "What happened?"

"You need to heal yourself. If you don't you will wake up to be one of the soulless creatures you hate so." She said putting a hand on my shoulder. But this place was so pretty. My roses were everywhere and they sparkled like they were covered in diamonds.

"Where are we?" I asked looking around. I heard a faint sound in the distance and spun around trying to find where it came from. "What was that?" I asked.

"It's Nick. He's calling for you." She said.

"Well can't he come here? It's so pretty, he would really like it. And you're here." I said sitting down on the ground with my roses. My roses they reminded me of my family, the family I couldn't find. What was I doing here? I needed to find them. But the roses, I wanted to stay with them.

"Tyrla your brother can't come here and stay. If you don't heal yourself he will never see you in the living again and he will be forced to destroy you once you wake a demon. You must heal yourself. Child do it! Now!" she said angry.

"Gran this place. They all could be here with us." I told her looking as the roses moved around me.

"No child. You must return to find and save your parents and the rest of the family. If they are here that means they are dead. Do you want that for them all?" she said upset. I just didn't understand what was so important for me to leave.

"Now Nick!" she said.

That's when I felt my body get taken over of. He was there inside my head. My hand moved up to my neck without me so much as asking it to. Nicky had control. Then the healing power flowed through me and my neck was back to normal. My roses disappeared and all I could see was blackness. Pain shot through my neck but quickly faded. I felt weak and disoriented.

"Tears open your eyes." Nicky said shaking my shoulders. "Please Tears open them. Don't die on me." he said and I knew he was crying not only because of the sound of his voice but because his tears were landing on my hand he was holding on. I wanted to go back to my roses but found no way to get there.

"It was so pretty there." I said. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me close. I cried in his shoulder. There was so much peace in that rose garden. No more pain, no more running, no more saving others, no more being worried about others, or being made fun of.

"I know Tears but you don't belong there. You have lives to save and I can't exist without you. You're my other half. Don't you ever give up on me like that again." He said still crying. I squeezed him to me. I couldn't leave him. He made his life about protecting me and if I gave up, like I just did then he would be nothing.

"I won't again." I said. "I love you Nicky."

"You're my best friend. I love you too."


	5. Bad Situations

Hey guys. Hope you enjoyed that last chapter. Again I don't own any of this but the plot and a few characters. Enjoy!

Dimitri's POV

I looked into the eyes of the most beautiful woman I had ever known, my wife. Looking down I realized I was dreaming. Roza was straddling me and riding me like there was no tomorrow completely naked. Her back arched as she moved, her full breast bounced with her movements and her hips circled as she moved on me. My hands went to her waist helping her move and feeling the soft but strong skin contract with each movement. Her moans drove me wild, the look on her face of pure ecstasy was bringing me to my peek. She looked down at me with so much love and need. I pulled myself up and crushed my lips to hers entwining my hands in her long hair. She wrapped her legs around my waist and continued to move on me.

My kisses moved to her neck knowing well that this spot made her crazy. Her head fell backwards enjoying my touch. I pushed her down so I was on top of her, her legs still wrapped around me as I moved on her. Her nails dug into my back and I absolutely loved the pain, it meant she was enjoying every minute. Her screams got louder, her nails dug in deeper and her walls closed around me.

I shot up freezing. Damn it. The hourly water dump just took me away from the one thing that was making this bearable. The hatch closed and I groaned.

"What's wrong Dimitri?" Roza asked playing with my hair. No wonder I was having such a good dream.

"I was having a really good dream." I told her wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Really? What about?" she asked. She leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"About you." I said. "You were riding me like you couldn't survive without it." I said with a small laugh.

"Dimitri. Here in this place you were having a wet dream?" she said.

"Yep and it was the best time I've had since we've been down in this god forsaking hole." Thanks to the darkness I didn't see her coming towards me. She crushed her lips to mine desperate to be close.

She pulled away but pressed her forehead to mine. "I miss your touch." She said.

The hatch opened causing both of us to grab each other and look up. Something was being lowered in. "You'll be ovulating in about a week from our calculations. Here's some stuff until then." The basket hit the ground. The hatch slide shut again. My poor Roza started crying scared out of her mind. She fell into my chest sobbing.

"I won't let them take you Roza. You belong to me." I said angry. I wrapped one arm around her and with the other I pulled the basket closer. I felt around and found a lantern. I immediately turned it on. Looking down at my wife I could see her shaking. She looked up at me with red eyes and tears flowing down her cheeks. "Oh Roza we'll get out of this somehow." I hadn't told her what gran said or even that gran was in the dream and dead. I didn't want anything else causing her more pain after what they put her through up there.

Taking a deeper look at her I saw the track marks on her arms where they drugged her. Her eyes were sunken in and her cheek had a long cut on it. That's when it clicked she wasn't just freaking out because of what was said, she had been shaking for the last day because of withdrawals. They had her hooked on something. I looked over to the basket not wanting to see the need in her eyes. After finding some food, towels, a small sharp knife, some rubbing alcohol, a wrap bandage, I found a needle. One that had whatever they had been putting in her. I quickly hid it under one of the towels and grabbed the things it would take to fix my ankle.

Why they had given us these things was beyond me but maybe there was one person up there that didn't like what was going on and was giving us a bit of help. That's what I wanted to believe but I knew that they gave us this as a way to let us know we wouldn't be with each other much longer. The light was a cruel reminder that even when it was dark she was still with me.

Tyrla's POV

Nicky wouldn't let me bring Sidka with us. He said they needed him back at the house and that the cat would be helpful. I hated leaving him. We flew to San Francisco and started walking from there.

"Nicky this is going to take forever." I said irritated. "Where are we going?"

"Tears cool it. We can't get a car and it's getting late we need to rest. Then we walk." He said.

"This place is so big. How do you know where we are going?" I asked.

"Because I'm smart and looked at a map before we got here. We can't look like lost children so act like you know where you're going and follow me closely." He said walking towards a busy street. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

When we came to the corner he looked up at the sign. The streets were full of people, all different kinds of people. I even saw a bum sitting against a building asking for money. When the light changed we walked across the street to a very large, fancy hotel. He pulled me inside and up to the counter.

"Hi there. And how can I help you two? Are you lost?" a very pretty lady said on the other side of the coutner.

"We have reservations under Nickolai Belikov. You might want to look in the standing reservation book." He told the lady. I gave him a weird look not understanding what the heck he was talking about.

"Well here you are. This room was reserved three years ago. Here's the key. I hope you enjoy the room. Let me know if I can help at all. When should your parents be here so I can tell the staff not to be concerned?" She said handing Nicky the key.

"In a few days." He said leading me away from the counter.

"Ok so are you going to tell me what's going on? Why did you reserve this room?" I asked confused.

"I asked gran. I was only three but I saw that we would need it. It took me forever to get her to understand my gibberish. But in the end she did and made the call." The doors opened and he pulled me down the hall. When he opened the door I was surprised to see a very nice room. There were two beds, a big tv, a small kitchen area and a big armoire.

"So you see things like gran did? Why didn't you say something?" his secrets were starting to really irritate me.

Nicky went straight to the armoire and pulled out a key. "We had this sent last year." He said opening the doors to reveal weapons. Most of them were swords like the ones he already carried. Others were those stars and weird looking harness' to put them all in.

"When are we going to go get them?" I asked sitting down on one of the beds. "I'm hungry." I said after my stomach made a growling noise.

"I need to teach you a few things and then we will make our way north." He said picking up a plastic menu and handing it to me. "Order something." He turned back to the weapons and started looking them over.

"North? How far north?" I asked. "And what do you have to teach me?"

"If you are going with me you are going to learn to use a sword. I won't be able to watch you once the fight starts. I don't know what we will find there or how many Strigoi's are there." He said picking up a sword with a pink hilt. "I had this one made for you. It's lighter and a bit longer so you don't have to get too close. I'm only going to show you a few moves. Most of them being moves to protect yourself and to stab if someone or something attacks you. I don't like you having to use one but I will be preoccupied. I need you to find our family while I fight them off. But if one gets through me I need to know you can handle yourself." He said seriously.

"Um do you forget that I can compel? Hello I'm not helpless." I returned back.

"If it doesn't take any energy to compel that's fine but if it does you need to be strong so use the sword." He said moving the one he had made for me in the air. "This will do you just fine." I shook my head and looked at the menu.

We both ordered a hamburger and fries. When they knocked on the door I jumped and Nicky pulled out a sword. "Room service." Someone called from the other side of the door.

"Yesh Nicky relax. If it was a Strigoi we would have already known." I got up and answered the door letting the young man in.

"Well hello. My name is Carl. I need a parent to sign for the amount." He said holding a piece of paper.

"Let me guess the name on the bill is Nickolai Belikov. It should also say that he is seven and that his parents are expected to meet him here in a couple of days." Nicky said with somewhat of an attitude.

"Sorry sir. Yes it does mention that. Please sign here." Carl said handing the bill to Nicky. Carl turned and left with a sad look on his face.

"You were supposed to tip him and what's with the mean crap?" I asked diving into my food.

"We don't need babysitters Tears. It just brings attention to us. Oh by the way Happy Birthday." He said with a smile and holding a small box. I didn't even realize it was our birthday. We were seven and going on fifty. Time sure does fly when all hell breaks loose.

"I completely forgot. I didn't get you anything Nicky, I'm sorry." I said feeling very bad.

"Its ok Tears a lot has been going on. I only remember because gran reminded me. Here." He said reaching out his hand to give me my present. I took it and opened it quickly.

Inside was the prettiest necklace I had ever seen. It was a shiny metal craving of two roses. Inscribed on the back it said 'for my best friend'. The chain was short so the roses would sit right in between my collar bones.

"Wow Nicky this is so pretty." I said immediately putting it on. "Thank you."

"It's made out of the same stuff my swords and stakes are made out of. I made it myself. Now the next time a Strigoi thinks about biting you they'll think twice." He said smiling.

"When did you have time to make it?" I asked. Obviously he made it after I was attacked.

"When you were asleep on the plane." He said. "A nice lady just happened to have wrapping paper and thought you were the cuttiest little girl she had ever seen. She asked if the necklace was for you after she watched me carve on the back and then she wrapped it for me." He took a big bite of his hamburger. "Yum this is good." He said chewing.

"Nicky thanks. You are a really good brother." I said getting up and hugging him.

"Hurry and eat so I can start training you." He said.

"Really? Tonight? I'm so tired." I whined eating more French fries.

"Ok. I'll wait till later. But we are leaving late tonight so get as much rest as you can." He finished his burger and went to take a shower.

I sat down on the bed so tired I thought I could sleep for an eternity. Too bad I didn't have that much time. I fell asleep quickly.

Dimitri's POV

Roza was asleep in my arms yet she was still shaking. I debated whether or not to give her that injection but was too scared that it could be something completely different and could kill her.

The hatch opened again and water splashed everywhere. The electric rob thing was lowered and moved towards me. When it came in contact with the wet ground around me the current moved through me. My back arched, when it was done Roza was being lifted out. I tried reaching for her but I was so weak and hurt I couldn't move fast enough. She started screaming and then some large thing was being thrown down the hole.

I caught it after realizing it was a person and fell to the ground. I set the person down and grabbed the light. It was Christian. The hatch was closed leaving us in silence.

"Christian are you ok?" I asked trying to get him to sit up. He groaned but sat up. He looked like I felt, completely covered in sores, blood and filthy.

"I hurt like hell. Where are we?" he asked.

"Captured." I said.

"What is it with us always ending up in bad situations? They have Lissa up there." He told me rubbing his hand on the back of his head..

"They have Roza too." I pulled the basket over and gave him some bread. He immediately put it in his mouth and almost choked.

"We have to get out of here." He said trying to stand. He was so weak he couldn't get enough strength to get to his knees.

"Just relax for a bit. Where's Tristen?" I asked.

"When the house got attacked he was with Sonya, Karolina and Paul shopping. I called them and told them to run and to find somewhere nobody would find them. He's safe, at least I hope he is."

"Christian how long have you been here? Is the rest of the family here too?" I asked.

"We've been here for at least a few weeks. I don't know who's here we've been in a hole in the dark. My time is all screwed up. I know Adrian, Viktoria, Abe, Janine and Olena are here. Where the rest are I don't know. I didn't know you were here till now. That's not good. If they got you and Rose then we are screwed." He said hanging his head low.

"Christian Yeva is dead. She came to me in a dream thing with Adrian and said our salvation is on its way and to just hold on." I took a deep breath. "I also haven't told Roza. They have her drugged with this." I said handing him the needle. "She's addicted. I don't know what to do." I told him.

"Who's our salvation? Who didn't get captured? Are the twins here?" He asked. "You haven't shown her this have you?"

"No not yet anyway. Shit I think that's what Yeva meant. Why do my kids have to get involved in this? I don't want them here." I said for the first time really scared for the children. What if they had taken Renee with them? Nick I was sure would be ok, at least I knew he could fight. Tyrla could control them but at what cost to her?

"Dimitri I don't think Nick and Tyrla would be that careless to come after us here. I mean nobody can find us because of the damn walls. So we need to figure out what we can do. Maybe I could transfer my strength to you so you can punch our way out." He said.

"Do you know how to do that? The only two I've ever seen do it are my children." Even if they wanted to find us they couldn't. None of us could feel Tyrla and she hadn't talked to any of since we woke up down here. "Shit Christian my swords." I said hanging my head. Nick was coming that I knew for sure.

"What about your swords? Do you have them?" he asked confused.

"No Christian they didn't leave them with me. But I had locator beacons put in the handles. It was something only Nick and I knew about. If someone is coming its Nick and I'm pretty sure Tyrla won't let him go without taking her." I said scared.

"Dimitri why are you so scared for them? Nick is an awesome fighter and Tyrla well we all know what she's capable of. We also don't know what secrets Nick has been hiding. I know he can do more than he says, I just can't figure out what." He said and I had expected that much.

"I know but they still are my children. I don't want them getting hurt." I said. "I just hope they know what they are doing. They don't know what they are dealing with here."

"None of us do. But I trust that whatever the two of them have planned everything will work out." Christian said with confidence.

"Well I hope your right. I wonder why they threw you down here. Yeva said we just needed to hold on. Can you use fire right now?" I asked him wondering if we could set them on fire when they opened the hatch.

"I can get a spark but can't continue with a flame. I'm too weak. Lissa can't compel at the moment either. I think it might have something to do with these walls. Who knows why none of us have any can't access our powers." He started looking around and noticed the water pooling in certain areas. "What's with all the water?" he asked.

"That's how they are keeping me weak. They dump it on me every hour. You'll see I'll be do in another half hour." I pulled a piece of bread out for myself and broke it in half when I noticed Christian starring at it. I had wondered how long it had been since he last ate. His cheek bones seemed to be a little more noticeable and his clothes although filthy hung on him. Maybe by chance if I feed him he could make some progress with his element.

"Lissa looks really bad." He said taking a huge bite out of the bread that at this point was just starting to mold but it was food. He looked down trying not to show the worry he had for her but I knew how he felt, Roza was my everything and what she was going through had me crazy because I couldn't do anything to stop it. "She says they are doing tests on her. They want her also because she's queen and plan on using her to get the rest of court on their side. This shit is just a fucking mess. I swear if we get out of here I'm setting fire to everyone of those bastards up there." He said tilting his head up.

I planned on doing much worse to them if we got out of here. As we sat there wondering what was to come of our women silence fell around us. What brought us back to reality was the scream of Roza upstairs. My chest felt like it was going to explode and I couldn't help the tears that fell down my face. Christian reached out and put his hand on my knee and gave it a little squeeze letting me know he was there with me and also worried.

Roza and Christian treated each other like step siblings most of the time but when in a pickle the two stood by each other with fierceness. He too had tears rolling down his face as we both sat there listening to her scream and cry out for death. Her screams went silent and that scared me more than the blood piercing shrieks.

Roza's POV

The drug coursed through my veins causing me to scream out as it burned me from the inside out. But it slowly stopped and the numbness that came with this drug pulled me under. I couldn't scream, kick or struggle against the hands that held me down. Whatever they were giving me was like going to sleep and having a nightmare. I welcomed it with open arms, to feel disconnected from what was going on around me.

"That's a good girl. You like that don't you?" a familiar voice said as a hand caressed my breast. I couldn't respond to this person or even slap his hand away. "You'll be mine soon enough. I've wanted you for so long. You'll enjoy me too. Trust me you'll want more. I'll drug you but only enough for you to be manageable." He said. "When I'm in you you'll scream out and break Dimitri's heart. We are going to make him watch. Make him understand that we control everything now. Hopefully it'll break him and he'll die of a broken heart." He said laughing.

All I wanted to do was cry. My Dimitri wouldn't survive watching me being raped. He would fight with what he had left in him to stop that from happening to me. I needed to figure out who was talking to me and try to convince him that he didn't have to do all this. But that voice I was sure I knew would rather die than give up the opportunity to be with me.

Someone pushed my legs apart; "Rose this will be over in a moment." said a female voice. A cold metal object pierced me between my legs and was a moment later gone. My legs were pushed back together and someone was on my side drawing blood from my left arm.

My eyes closed and blackness took me. "Mom! Mom can you hear me?" I heard Tyrla somewhere inside me. "Concentrate mom. We are on our way. Just hold on." She said loudly. "You need to concentrate on my voice mom. I need to heal you but you need to let me." she said me.

"Tyrla?" I said with all my strength. "Don't come here." I said with what was left.

"Mom you can fight the effects of this drug. Let me show you. Let me in." she said.

"How Tyrla?" I asked. I was tired and couldn't keep this conversation up much longer. All I wanted to do was to let the drug give me the release it always did. Knowing that I would get this drug in my system every time I was up here was one of the reasons I didn't fight when they brought me up here. I was addicted to it, loved it and wanted more.

"Just hold on to you. Don't let that crap take you." She said. I did as she asked and pushed the drugged feeling down. It hurt to do so but when she asked me to do something I always did. She knew what she was doing and only wanted to help me.

"Ok I'm coming in." that's when I felt like someone took over my body. The warmth spread across me and that drug was gone. "Stay still. Don't let them know you can feel them. You need to get back to daddy and help him." She was there in my head. I could see her standing in a room as she touched certain parts helping me heal and grow stronger.

"I've got to go mom. You fight this drug when they give it to you. The part of me that's in you will help so let it. Daddy needs you to heal his ankle. I left a little extra so you can heal him just touch his ankle and concentrate on the me in you. I love you. Tell daddy Nicky has a plan." Then she was gone.

I wanted to scream out in pain when another needle stabbed into the right arm but knew I would give myself up and would probably be drugged even heavier than I had before. Tyrla had done something to me to help with the addiction and I didn't want to disappoint her by giving myself up. I just hoped that both my children knew what they were doing.

Tyrla's POV

Nicky woke me up at about 2am rushing me to get out of bed and dressed. "Nicky can't we sleep just a little more?" I begged him.

"No. Now get up or I'll throw you in the cold shower." He said walking towards his bed. On top of his bed were weapons covering it. They lay there like they were arranged with a certain plan in mind. I rolled over and pulled myself up.

"So how long is it going to take for us to get there?" I knew he wanted to walk and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why.

"It'll take us about four days. I have all the stuff we will need. I want this time to train you a bit just so I'm not worried about you when this all goes down." He told me placing two more swords on his back. There were now a total of six. Each set of swords were smaller than the last going down his back. It looked like he was preparing for a war.

"What's all that for? It's not going to be that bad is it? I mean you know how to fight what do you need all that stuff for? And then on top of it I can control them." I told him finally getting out of bed. I searched for some clothes in my bag and found a pair of blue jeans and a black tee shirt.

"Tears this isn't going to be a good situation. I'm pretty sure that even all this won't be enough. On top of that I need to have some weapons for dad, Adrian and Christian. I just want to be prepared for anything." He said as I walked to the bathroom.

A few hours later we were still walking but were now in the middle of some forest. Walking through the jungle of San Francisco was one of the worst experiences of being in a city. So many people stopped and asked us if we were lost, some weird guy asked us if we needed a ride and a very nice drunk bum had asked us for a cigarette.

Now walking through this forest it was easier to move through the trees than the people. We could hear some talking once and awhile. We even heard a shot go off and that made Nicky on high alert. By the time we stopped to set up camp it was almost eleven. Nicky was a pro at setting up the tent. When he was done he set his weapons on the ground and pulled out the two swords he had told me would be mine.

"It's time to train." He said handing them to me.


	6. The Journey

Hi everyone.

Tyrla's POV

I sliced the sword in the air like Nicky had shown me but still couldn't hit my mark. "What am I doing wrong?" I asked him frustrated. We had been working on this one move for over an hour now and I still couldn't seem to get it down. All I had to do was to turn around quickly with my sword extended and hit a blown up doll hanging from a tree. Nicky made sure the dummy was taller than me so I would know how and where to hit them because they all would be taller than me. But no matter how many times I concentrated on the doll I just couldn't hit it.

"You need to let it go for now and get some sleep. In the morning you'll be able to hit it." He said taking my swords from me. "Now lay down." He said pointing to the sleeping bag on the ground. He quickly stabbed my sword into the ground next to me so it was close. My other sword he laid at my feet. We were surrounded by large trees, stumps and other shrubs. Nicky had made sure that we were well hidden for the time being.

"What about you? Are you going to sleep?" I asked watching him make slow moves with his swords. I swear he was doing it so I could catch what he was doing. The first time he showed me the move I couldn't seem to master he moved so fast all I saw was a blur.

"Of course I am. I'm going to need my rest. Trust me, nothing bad will happen here. And if by chance someone comes along they won't like the traps I set." He said with a smile finally putting his swords on each side of his sleeping bag and sitting down on the thing.

"How can you be so tense sometimes and then so relaxed in a place like this" I asked looking around. Yes we were covered by the forest and shrubs Nicky had made a little fort with but that still didn't protect us from the weather or if by chance someone or something came along.

"Trust me Tears. Go to sleep. We start walking tomorrow and training along the way. You'll need your rest." He said lying down and closing his eyes. I on the other hand looked up in the sky and tried concentrating on mom. Of course I couldn't feel or locate her at that time. She was obviously in the place that didn't allow me access to her.

Dimitri's POV

When Roza was returned she seemed to be a bit different. She hugged Christian and asked about Lissa but I could tell she wanted to tell us something.

"What's going on Roza?" I asked reaching for her hand. She smiled that smile that made me think that everything would be alright.

"Tyrla came to me while I was up there. She helped me with the drug addiction and left some power for me to heal you. All I have to do is touch your ankle and think of her. I hope it works. Those two kids of ours are defiantly up to something." She said as she reached for my hurt ankle. She closed her eyes and by god her hand started glowing. I felt the healing power I did every time Tyrla did this but I could feel her in me this time. One of Tyrla's memories flowed in me. I saw Victor, some other girl I didn't recognize, Sidka and my little Jade.

"Did you see that?" I asked her.

"See what? I saw the glow if that's what you mean." She told me looking at me with concern.

"No, Victor and Jade are safe. They are at the compound with some girl I don't know and Sidka. Tyrla left that message in you. How are they figuring out all these new tricks?" I asked.

"Maybe they got some help." She said and I immediately thought of Yeva. I should probably tell her so she knows that they do have help and also what Yeva had told me but I didn't know if the bad news would cause her pain and I would do anything to stop her from feeling anymore pain.

"Rose." Christian said getting her attention. "They are getting help. But not in the way you think." He said making sure she was listening. I knew he was about to tell her about Yeva and I didn't try stopping him.

"Where and who?" she asked sounding a little relieved.

"Yeva is helping them, just like she's helping us." He told her. Roza looked at him confused.

"Yeva is with them? Coming here?" she asked.

"No Rose. Yeva is dead and is talking to them and to Dimitri when he sleeps." He said. Roza started shaking her head back and forth. When the tears started I pulled her in my arms and held her tight.

"She's alright Roza. She tells me we just need to fight for a little while longer and then we will be rescued. I'm guessing by our extraordinary children." I told her rubbing her back.

"When did she die? How did she die?" she asked with her face buried in my chest still crying.

"I don't know. But when she visited me and Adrian in a dream thing she seemed happier that it was much easier to get around. She also said it was very peaceful." I told her.

"I hope she wasn't in any pain when she went." Roza said looking up at me. That I would not know. She looked the same in the dream, she talked the same and she still made somewhat no sense to me with her messages.

"Me too Roza." I said pulling out some bread for her. "Here you need to eat." I said handing her a large piece.

The hole above us was opened up and from the light that came down on us we could see the body of Lissa being dropped down the hole. Christian jumped to his feet making sure he caught her but when he did he fell to the ground where I caught him so he wouldn't hit the ground so hard.

"Lissa are up ok?" Christian asked checking her over.

"I'm fine. They were just trying to find out where all the kids ended up at." She said laying her head on his shoulder.

Tyrla's POV

I woke to a very funny sound coming from close by. When I opened my eyes I saw a large shadow hovering over what looked like my brother. But nobody could get the drop on him, at least I thought nobody could. But it was him. I saw his pants, his shoes and the same shirt he wore last night. The thing had him engulfed in his arms with its nasty mouth around his neck. I shot out of bed and the Strigoi's head snapped my way.

I grabbed the sword still in the ground and rushed him. The Strigoi came at me and I twirled around jumping in the air and stabbed him right through the heart. When I landed on top of him I made sure he was dead.

When I turned around to check on Nicky he was standing by a tree ten feet away with the biggest smile on his face.

"I told you, you would get it with some rest." He said walking towards me.

"You, you set this up? Are you crazy?" I yelled.

"You weren't in any danger. I wouldn't have let anything happen to you. It's just part of your training and I wanted you to see that with the right motivation you could nail that move. You even did it better than I taught you with the jumping thing." He said taking my sword and pulling it out of the Strigoi's chest.

"You're a rotten brother! I thought you were dead!" I yelled and then started crying. Nicky wrapped his arms around me and no matter hard I tried pushing him away he just wouldn't move.

"I'm sorry Tears. I thought you would be happy that you finally got that move down. I didn't mean to upset you." He said squeezing me.

"Nicky please don't do that again. I'm tired of seeing people I love getting hurt." I told him hugging him back.

"I promise to never do that again. I'm sorry." He said kissing my cheek and gathering his things. "It's time for us to get moving." He handed me my swords with a smile and started strapping on his weapons.

We started walking and the whole time he's showing me moves. I asked questions and of course he kept them short.

"Nicky I'm hungry." I finally said a few hours later.

"We will be coming to a small town here in an hour." He said still walking ahead of me.

"Nicky this is stupid. We've been walking for hours. I'm tired and hungry. Why can't we just take a cab or drive or something?" I begged.

"No Tears. We are being watched, followed and who knows what else. By doing it this way we have the upper hand. They aren't going to see us coming. Plus if we come across any Strigoi's I can show you some more moves." He said taking my hand and pulling on it.

Rose's POV

The gate over opened up again and this time water wasn't dumped down but food was. The Strigoi that was looking down in the hole had blood all over his face which made me want to hurl.

"Eat up while you can ladies. You only have so much time before you're up her having the time of your life." He said as he shut the hatch.

I held the tears that wanted to fall but Lissa broke down. She was so scared. She started shaking and Christian wrapped his arms around her but she pushed him away. That's when I felt her darkness. I thought I was done with taking the darkness from her but as always I did without even thinking.

"Roza are you alright?" Dimitri asked me putting his hand on my face. "Roza?" he said again almost making me angrier.

"Dimitri please just leave me alone." I said angry.

"Roza this isn't you. What's wrong?" he asked trying to move my head his way so he could look in my eyes.

"She took my darkness." Lissa said softly.

"Damn it Rose you can't do that all the time especially not now." Christian said getting up and coming towards me. I jumped to my feet thinking he wanted to fight. I swung not even thinking about it and hit him in the jaw. He flew backwards hitting the hard wall. When he did some of the stones came loose exposing just a hint of day light.

Arms wrapped around me and no matter how much I struggled I couldn't get free.

"Roza settle down!" Dimitri yelled. He turned me in his arms so fast I thought he could have been a Strigoi. He crushed his lips to mine and everything I had just been feeling disappeared.

Then there was laughter coming from above us.

Tyrla's POV

I swear the town that was supposed to be only a few miles away felt more like hours and hours away. By the time we made it to the town it was getting dark and my stomach was hurting so bad I thought it would explode.

"Come on Tears, we can eat here." He said steering me to a little restaurant. As we walked up to the counter Nicky started looking around for something but gave me that look that meant 'don't ask'.

"Well hello. How can I help you two sweet things?" a very nice older lady asked.

"We'd like a table for two please." Nicky said. All I could do was to look around at all the people eating hot food. How they shoveled it into their mouths. How I so badly wanted to walk up to one of the tables and start eating their food.

"Um, mind me being rude but can you even pay for a meal?" the lady asked looking back and forth between us.

"Yes we can." I said in a little bit of a rude tone.

"Well then please follow me." she said grabbing two menus and leading us to a table.

As soon as we sat down Nicky started looking everywhere. His eyes stopped on a couple in the corner.

"What's wrong Nicky?" I asked looking at the couple.

"Those two have been following us." He told me still watching them.

"Why?" I asked.

"Really Tears? Because they want to be our friends." He said shaking his head. "They are with the Strigoi that probably have our family. They aren't the only ones here either." He said looking around. The waitress came to take our order and eyed us very oddly then walked away.

"We can't eat here Tears." Nicky said under his breath.

"Why not, I'm starving." I said irritated.

"Because everyone in this restaurant is either a Strigoi or working for them. We need to get the hell out of here. They are going to try being quiet about it by slipping some drugs in our food. But if that doesn't work, then they are going to attack." He said his eyes darting everywhere.

"How do you know this?" I asked him.

"Because I can hear them. Tears get up slowly and walk to the door. I will be right behind you." He told me.

I got up like he told me and started walking to the door. But didn't get to far when the waitress grabbed my arm.

"Your food is ready. Where are you going?" she asked.

"I don't feel good. I thought I'd get some fresh air." I said trying to get away from her. I didn't see Nicky anywhere.

"I don't think so Tyrla." She said with an evil smile. She was only a human, or at least I thought she was. Something about her was throwing me off. It was the same way with the Strigoi that could walk in the light.

"You really don't want to do that." I told her letting that feeling flow through me. I was tired of worrying about what my powers would do to those around me. I was tired of seeking out those who were pure. If they were here helping then there was no good in them. If I saved them and they were changed again a cruel cycle would start.

Someone had not told these half breeds what I was capable of. They meant nothing to them. I guess they were just disposable beings to them. The waitress pulled me back into the middle of the room and I then noticed that the whole restaurant was filled with these disposable beings all coming my way. Where the hell was Nicky.

"Stop or you'll regret it." I said.

"Find the other one. Dispose of this one." The waitress said.

"Find your strength Tears. Use it!" Nicky yelled from the back room. He must have been dealing with more Strigoi's.

"All I wanted was a meal. Is that too much to ask for anymore?" I said closing my eyes. I needed to find what Nicky knew was inside me. I could feel them closing in on me as I searched deep inside for this power. When hands wrapped around my wrists and my neck I found that strength or power. Hidden within a corner was something strong that just wanted to be let out.

I accessed it letting it engulf me. Teeth came at me and with a burst of power that erupted around me I was standing in the room alone. On the floor surrounding me were piles of bones.

"You did it Tears!" Nicky said standing in the back of the room holding someone in his arms. "Now get over here and help her." he said in a strange voice. When I got closer I almost wanted to hurl. She looked so hurt, blood coming from her ears, mouth and nose. She looked like they had been feeding off her for weeks and her hair was covered in blood.

She was curled up against Nicky's chest not moving. She looked liked she had lost so much weight and on such a small person it didn't look good. Her cheek bones were showing and I could see her ribs through the tee shirt she was wearing.

Nicky set her on the ground in front of me. Her head fell to the side showing the bite marks down her throat. She wasn't breathing and her eyes were wide open.

"Renee. What's wrong with her?" but I knew the answer the moment my hand touched her cheek. She was dead and at any moment she would wake up as one of them. She would be one of those who we hunt, who we hate, who we kill.

"Tears, if you do this she will wake up closer to being like us." Nicky said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"But why?" I asked not understanding why she couldn't just go back to being Renee. Renee was so confident, fun loving and didn't let anything get her down. She amused me throughout our childhood and the last thing I wanted for her was to be whatever I am. To be super something. She loved being odd but would this push her over the edge? But I couldn't just watch her wake up one of them. She would hate me if I did. But would she hate me if I gave her powers.

"Because the power I asked you to wake up will see her as one you love and want to protect. I knew you had it in you. But now anyone you love that gets hurt and you heal will not only carry you in them they will have some of your powers."

"Nicky why would you allow me to wake that up if you knew? I don't want this for her." I said starting to cry.

"Because I can't let another family member die like Nan." He said with no emotion.

"How could you make me do this Nicky? Why?" I said crying harder.

"Tears you better hurry up and make your choice because her heart just stopped." he told me taking a step back and pulling out his sword.

"I hate you." I said looking up at him. Then I put my hands on either side of Renee's face and let that damn power flow from me to her knowing she would wake up Renee super human. I hated Nicky for making me do this to her. I hated him for waking up this power. Doing this to her just put her on the Strigoi's top ten list, a list myself, Nicky, our parents, few family members like grandpa Abe were on and now her when the find she can do things.

This power wasn't protecting her like he thought, it was putting her on their radar. She would be hunted, Strigoi would try killing her or capturing her and using people she loved as ways to get to her. Didn't this family have enough to deal with than changing more of us into targets? Why didn't Nicky see that?

"You just damned her." I whispered. Without notice I was pressed against a wall, my feet dangling off the ground.

"Tyrla, this isn't a curse and she's not damned. They can't use her against us anymore. And when we find the rest of them if I have to kill them myself to get you to save them so they all have powers I will. If they had any powers like you do then her being here would never have happened. Mom and dad need it too. Your powers grow within people. I should know. When they attacked you after we buried gran and you were dead, I was in your head. Because I was in your head I have a piece of the power. I can do things no one can do and it only gets stronger."

"I don't understand." I said as he let me go.

"You can only give this to people you would die for Tears. I didn't take it from you that day, you gave it to me. I think you subconsciously knew you didn't know how to control or access it but knew I would." He paused, took a step my way putting his hand on my check. "If they are going to make creatures that can control the world, walk in light and have children then we will build an army that can defeat them." He turned walking away.

"Tears?" Renee said from the floor. I rushed to her side.

"Do you feel ok? Are you alright?" I asked checking her wounds that were closing up.

"I feel weird." She said looking down at her leg where a large wound was closing. "You healed me. Was I dead?" she asked.

"Worse." Nicky said. I shot him an evil look. She really didn't need to know that.

"Great." She said rolling her eyes. "So what now?" she asked. Nothing seemed to concern her. It was what it was with her and she always wanted to move to the next stage. Why couldn't I stop worrying and be more like that.


	7. It's for the best

Sorry it took so long to update. Hope you liked that last chapter. I don't own VA. Enjoy.

Tyrla's POV

"No you're not coming with us! No way!" I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yes I am! You're not the boss of me and my parents are there too." Renee yelled back crossing her arms too.

"It's too dangerous! You are not coming!" I yelled.

"Yes she is Tears. She can protect herself now." Nicky said calmly.

"No Nicky she's not." I turned saying to him.

"Wait what do you mean I can protect myself?" Renee asked.

"Never mind Renee." I said.

"Tyrla why are you so against letting her know what she is now?" Nicky asked obviously mad because he very seldom used my real name.

"What do you mean, what I am now?" Renee asked. "I'm Renee." She said with her hands on her hips now looking at us both annoyed.

"Never mind Renee." I told her again not even looking at her.

"She has the right to know. Besides there's no telling her she can't go. She'll just follow us and figure out the changes on her own. Why not tell her so she can use them?" Nicky said.

"What changes? What are you talking about?" she yelled. "Nick you better tell me what's going on." She said angry.

"Tears tell her." Nicky said to me.

"This was all your doing why don't you tell her?" I sad mad.

"Because it's something in you." He said cocky.

"You're the one who found it and who thinks he knows what to do with it." I yelled.

"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?" Renee yelled at the top of her lungs.

Nicky and I stood there face to face waiting for the other to open their mouth. He must have known me well enough that I could sit there for eternity and not say a thing. This was his doing so he could tell her. Renee sat there staring at us both waiting not so patiently.

"Hello?" Renee asked annoyed. .

"Fine!" Nicky said upset. I just smiled knowing I wouldn't be the one dropping the news on her.

Dimitri's POV

When I woke I was surprised to see everyone still sleeping. Lissa was wrapped in Christian's arms and Roza was in my lap asleep. As I looked down at her I just couldn't believe how two people so strong could end up here and not being able to do a thing to protect anyone we both loved.

"Tyrla." Roza whispered. "Tylra stay away." She said a little louder.

"Roza, honey wake up." I said shaking her shoulder.

"Something is wrong. She's very upset. For some reason she doesn't want someone with her. I don't understand." She said.

"I wonder what has changed. I hope they are alright." Christian said softly. I had thought he was sleeping but I guess like me he just couldn't get that much sleep.

"I'm sure whatever the problem is they can figure it out." I said trying to reassure her that our children were special and could deal with it.

"Dimitri do you think they will make it here in time?" Roza said in a shaky voice.

"Oh, I have no doubt that they will." I told her.

"Me either." Christian said.

The hole that Roza had made when she hit Christian was patched not moments later by some humans working for the Strigoi but they didn't replace the metal lining so she was getting small pieces of Tyrla's emotions once in a while. Those pieces confused us more than helped us.

"I wonder why they have put us all together but didn't put Viktoria and Adrian in here with us." Lissa said rolling over. I guess none of us were getting any sleep.

"I've been wondering the same thing. And where are Abe and Janine. We know or at least hope that Renee is still at school. Tristen is with my sisters and Paul hiding and Victor is at the compound with Jade, Sidka and another girl but those two have me worried. We haven't heard anything about them." I paused thinking about how this would affect Roza, "but we know Abe has his contacts and they won't let anything happen to him or Janine. He either pays them very well or their scared to death to cross him."

Roza laughed which really warmed my heart, "Abe is somewhere but not here. I'm pretty sure of that. What he's up to is the better question. We also know he's not with our kids." She said with hope.

"Well he's up to something that's for sure. Abe always has something up his sleeve." Christian replied.

The hatch above us opened, water was dumped on us and the electric currents hit the water causing us all to loose all hope of protecting anyone. This time I was the one that was grabbed. I was lifted out of the hole as things started going black and the last thing I heard was Roza screaming my name.

Tyrla's POV

"This is so cool!" Renee screamed jumping ten feet in the air to grab a branch and flip around it before landing on the ground.

"See Tears, you did a good thing for her." Nicky said softly trying to grab hold of my hand. I took a step away from him not wanting his touch.

"You can't be that mad at him Tyrla. I'm happy I can help now and that I'm not dead or a Strigoi." Renee said still trying out her new powers.

"Do you not understand that you're going to have more problems than you had before? Do you think that with these powers you're not going to be targeted, hunted down and that your loved ones won't be used against you? Are you that stupid?" I asked them both. I was so mad I just wanted to get away from the both of them for a few minutes and so I did. I jumped landing on a branch almost twenty feet in the air. I did this again and again until I reached the top and felt the warmth of the sun hitting my face.

Those two didn't get what they were pretty much asking me to do to everyone. I thought of it as a curse not a gift. As I sat there thinking I wondered if there was ever going to be a time that my family wasn't in danger or on the brink of some crazy persons death list. I could hear Nicky tell Renee to start looking for wood and that we would set up camp here for the night. He also told her to leave me alone and that I would come around soon.

The only reason why I wasn't running off is because I still couldn't get a lock on my mom and needed Nicky to find them. I think he knew if he told me where we were going that I would disappear. He was on a mission and to him it really didn't matter that it was the people we loved that we were saving. Had he become nothing more than a guardian?

As I sat there watching the sun hit the far off mountain and casting red and oranges across the sky I thought of a time where I was in my garden and my only concern was mastering the way my roses bloomed. Where Renee giggled because she looked like she wore a rose dress and Nicky laughed when he corrected a move. I missed seeming my parent's share a look that I knew meant they loved each other or catching them kissing, hugging or smiling at one another. I missed my beloved Sidka. I missed her warm silky coat pressed up against me during cold nights.

The sun sank further down bringing on the darkness of night and the sound of a crackling fire. Nicky was teaching Renee a few moves and they both were laughing which just irritated me further. They finished their training and I could smell the sweet smell of hot dogs being cooked.

"You know life is full of changes for us all. This thing you gave me may not be something you wanted for me and it may not be what I wanted either but I would rather be sitting here with you than watching over you because I was dead and seeing you cry because you had to kill the monster I became. The choices me make always have consciences but sometimes you have to do want is right. Saving me from something worse than death was the right thing to do. I will never hold this over you, hate you for it or even abuse it." Renee's soft voice said from a tree limp below. "I love you Tyrla and am grateful that you are in my life. I couldn't imagine not being part of this family and defending myself against the crap that's going on without this families amazing powers. I feel sorry for those families that had to go into hiding or defend themselves against these Strigoi's." she finished and sat there for a good ten minutes before realizing I had nothing to say. But just as she went to leave I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I love you too Renee." Was all I said. I still didn't like that she had to deal with this now but she was right. I would hate myself if I had to kill her.

I didn't say a word throughout dinner and when Nicky started training I paid attention and did the moves correctly not wanting to give him a reason to interact with me. When we laid down for bed I heard him whisper that he loved me but pretended I didn't hear him. I rolled over so that my back was to him and fell asleep.

"Tears wake up." Nicky said shaking me. "Please wake up." he said again but this time I heard the hesitation in his voice. He was crying.

I sat up quickly looking around, "Is everything alright? Is Renee ok?" I asked looking at her.

"I'm so sorry Tears. I didn't think you would hate me for this. I thought you would be mad but I can feel how you're feeling about me. I'm so sorry." He said not hiding the tears that fell. "I thought it would be helpful. I didn't once stop to think that you believe our powers were a curse. I never thought you wouldn't talk to me or yell at me." he was kneeled down next to me crying worse than he had when gran died. His hands were fidgeting and I could see he was shaking from fright. My brother scared. It was a lot to take in. When his emotions hit me I wanted to cry. He thought I hated him. He had been woken up from a bad dream where he was holding my dead body in his arms and we had never said a word for weeks to each other.

"Nicky I don't hate you. I hate what I had to do and you were a big reason I couldn't just heal her anymore." I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him as he held me tight crying. "I will always love you Nicky I just don't believe changing everyone we love is a good idea."

"But it is Tears. Don't you see? If they had these powers they wouldn't be where they are now. You have to trust me. No metal or anything those stupid Strigoi come up with can stop these powers. It is something that lives in us now. You would never have to recharge them and in time the powers grow. It's more like an ability you learn not a power that was given." He said trying to stop his tears. "I should have told you about them a long time ago so you would understand them better. I was just scared you would not understand them then."

"So what will this do to mom and dad with the powers they have now?"

"Mom will be able to take aunt Lissa's darkness without any problem, she would be able to do everything else better too. Dad would move just as fast as me and fight just as well as me. It only adds to what you already have or want to have but you still have to train it. That's why I'm training Renee. That's why I was training you." He looked at me just then finally allowing me to see his swollen red eyes. "I truly am sorry Tears."

I sat there for a moment not knowing what to say. He really thought he was doing all this for the greater good and I just couldn't help but feel differently about it. "It's alright Nicky. I understand." I said patting him on the shoulder and giving him a smile.

"Really Tears? I can't stand not knowing we are ok." He said a little shaky.

"Nicky I don't want to fight with you anymore and I don't want to be mad for forever. Go back to bed and let's forget about all of this for now." I said kissing his cheek and lying back down. We were only a few hours from where we were headed and we all needed to have our rest and feel together on it.

Instead of returning to his bed he curled up next to me and wrapped his arm around me like we used to when things were simple. It didn't take long before he fell fast asleep. I stayed awake for awhile thinking of my next move. What would happen when we did make it to where our parents and family were? We would be walking into a huge mess and people might die. People I cared about might get hurt or lost if I refused to use the power. I could take them all out in one blow. But I worried for those that had a choice to be restored. Was I even capable of doing that without causing them more problems though, I didn't know and didn't want to chance it.

Dimitri's POV

My head was killing me and opening my eyes hurt like they had never been opened before. All I could see at the minute was white. But I could feel that I was bound standing straight up against something. I tugged on my arms to see how much give I had. Nothing. The room started coming into few slowly. At first it was just blurs and blobs. But slowly I could see that the blobs were people. Their faces came into focus one by one. Adrian started at me with such sorrow and anger mixed I could only guess that something wasn't right at all. Against the wall a few feet and out of reach of him was Christian struggling against his bounds. He wasn't looking at me but at something in front of him.

As my head turned to see what was causing him to react this way Adrian started calling my name trying to get my attention. Across the room Victoria and Lissa were also chained to the wall but both of them were wearing a very thin, see through gown. Both of them seemed to be unconscious. Centered in the middle of the room was a table. Laying on top of that table bound and wearing the same gown was my wife.

"Roza!" I yelled. My anger peeked as I struggled against my bounds. This was it. They were going to do things to my wife that I would die not just knowing but seeing.

"Well well Dimitri. What do you think? Doesn't she look like a dream?" Stan asked me. I ripped my eyes from Roza to look at the demon. He smiled like a child getting a new toy making my stomach and anger peek.

"Don't you touch her!" I yelled. As I said that he reached out and ran his hand down Roza's leg. She started struggling and tried to move away from his hand.

"Now now Dimitri this will be fun. You see she's the only one that past the tests. She'll be the one that carries the next generation of Strigoi." he said looking down at my wife. He looked back up at me, "I thought you would enjoy this." He said with a smile. "The rest of the family is here because once they witness this they are of no use and neither are you. You all will be destroyed. But I just couldn't let you die peacefully, I had to show you what would become of your Rose." He said laughing. "I hope this breaks that heart of yours Dimitri." He said leaving the room.

"Roza, honey?" I said.

"Don't you give up Dimitri! Don't you die on me." she said as the tears started falling. She struggled harder against the bounds knowing darn well that this would be the end of me. I couldn't watch this, I couldn't survive this, I couldn't live knowing she had been used this way even if I did get out of here alive.

The door opened up again and Stan walked back in with four other Strigoi. He was now wearing a black robe that I was sure was the only thing he was wearing. The other Strigoi positioned themselves around Roza as Stan stood at the end of the table with his back turned to me. I pulled on those bounds harder and harder, still nothing.

"Are you ready my sweet?" Stan said. Roza started thrashing around but those Strigoi's hands pushed her down and held her in place.

The moment he pulled the belt that held his robe closed there was a silence I had never heard in my life. Everyone stopped, even Stan looked around. He shrugged his shoulders, took a step forward then fell to the ground in a heap twitching around. I looked down and saw a sword had been driven through his head and only the hilt of it showed coming out the top. But I hadn't seen anyone hit him. What I did notice was that I knew that hilt, I knew that sword.

In a flash I saw Tyrla standing over her mother and Nick breaking my bounds. The four Strigoi moved on Tyrla. I went to move to her but Nick grabbed my hand pulling me back. With a small pulse of her hands the Strigoi dropped to the floor. I saw movement from the corner of my eye and saw Renee breaking the bounds on her father just as easily as Nick had done for me. I couldn't think how she did this.

Nick walked over to Roza and Tyrla. He looked at Tyrla for what seemed like a long time. She starred him down with such hate. Nick's hand moved so fast nobody could have stopped him. He stabbed Roza straight into the heart giving her no chance to survive.

"Nick no!" I yelled running forward. He walked away watching Tyrla. As tears started falling down my face I watched as my little girl crouched down on the ground in front of her mother. She never looked away from Nick and put her hands on Roza's chest.

"I hate you!" Tyrla said to her brother.

"It's for the best." Nicky said back. I ran over grabbing Nick and turning him to look at me. With the tears that streaked down both our faces as I stared at him trying to find what to say or do I heard my wife take in a breath. Nick gave me a small smile and moved away.

"Roza?" I said.

"She's ok dad." Tyrla said. I fell to my knees with the most two special women in my life to see for myself that she was ok. Tyrla put her hand on my cheek demanding my attention. "I love you daddy."

"Ah sweetheart I love you too." I said looking at her. I pulled Roza into my arms so glad she was safe. I was about to ask Nick why but he spoke before I had the chance.

"We are about to have a lot of company. Girls get them out of here." Nicky said pointing to Roza, Lissa and Victoria.


	8. She's Gone

She's Gone

I don't own VA. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter.

Tyrla's POV

I starred at the people surrounding me. Nicky was inside the old abandoned military base doing what he does best, fighting. I was pretty sure he was enjoying it too. Daddy stayed with him after I told him he would be helpful. Nicky didn't understand that it didn't take him killing or hurting a family member like he did with mommy in order for me to pass the powers to them. It just took love. When I had put my hand on daddy's check back inside I purposely concentrated on passing the powers to prove Nicky wrong. I was right! I had given daddy the so called gift without putting his life in danger. Nicky would have to live with the fact that he purposely harmed mommy because it was for the best. At least what he thought was the best. He didn't even consider that maybe these gifts had consequences.

"Tyrla what's wrong with Nick?" mommy asked looking over her hand like she noticed something had changed. She would soon enough notice the changes. The moment she went to fight she would see.

"He thought he knew best mommy. He didn't mean to hurt you. He just thought it was the only way." I told her helping her up to stand. Christian, Lissa, Viktoria and Adrian were all still sitting on the ground rubbing their wrists where they had been tied together.

"Only way for what?" my mommy asked.

"The only way for you to have better powers. Powers that I have accidently given to him and he wants all you to have. Renee has them now. But that was also not my choice." I told her.

"Renee is here? Where?" Uncle Adrian asked scared and looking around.

"She's inside helping." I told him. Renee had helped me bring them outside but wanted to join in the battle. I did not. "Don't worry uncle Adrian she can move almost as fast as Nicky can and he has been teaching her how to use the power. She'll be just fine. I promise."

He looked at me confused, "But she's just a little girl. What happened to her Tyrla?" he asked me.

"They fed off her for weeks. She had bites all over. When I finally got to her, her heart stopped. Nicky told me if I healed her she would be more like us but if I didn't heal her she would wake up a Strigoi. I had no choice Uncle I couldn't kill her. I'm so sorry she's different now." I said crying. My mom wrapped her arms around me rubbing my back.

"Tyrla, honey what powers are you talking about?" Uncle Adrian asked setting his hand on my shoulder. He didn't look angry at me just very concerned.

"I gave them to Nicky years ago not knowing anything about it or them. Nicky has been using them. That's why he fights so well, it's why he can move faster and do things that others can't. When we were attacked he told me to wake it up. When I did, well um, well you saw in there what it takes for me to get rid of Strigoi." My head was pressed against my mom's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around me while Adrian rubbed my back.

"Tyrla is Renee in any danger?" Uncle Adrian asked stressing the word any.

"With power comes responsibility and trouble Uncle. I'm so sorry." I told him crying.

"Why did Nick stab me honey?" my mom asked.

"That's how he thinks that power is given. He thinks they have to be healed in order for it to pass along, but it doesn't. I gave some to daddy without hurting him, without healing him." I paused taking in a breath, "I could be in there helping but I just can't be around him. He won't listen." I told them.

Dimitri's POV

My son, Renee and I moved quickly throughout the base looking for any signs of the others killing Strigoi on our way. Every kill I made felt different, like it didn't take me even one second and no effort at all. I couldn't understand why Renee was with us until she made a kill. Something had changed. She was trained and moved almost as fast as me. I couldn't get a grasp on how she learned so quickly.

"Dad?" Nick said stopping his forward movement starring at me.

"Nick what is happening to me?" I asked him looking at my hands.

"She did it! But how?" he asked himself more than me.

"What are you talking about Nick?" I asked him turning around so fast and taking a Strigoi's head off with my sword. "Wow!" I said looking at the dead thing.

"She really did it. Dad Tyrla transferred you some really special powers." He stopped then looked down at his hands, "without having to heal you. I don't understand." He said. Renee stood there for a moment watching him with sad eyes that I didn't understand.

"Nick?" I asked but just then the door to our left opened and Strigoi started pouring out of it towards us. We all moved on them quickly without another thought of our conversation. Once we were sure there were no Strigoi left alive in the building we started looking around. I was really hoping to find any information on Abe and Janine. Unfortunately we found nothing.

"Hey there's something over here." Renee called from the corner of the room we had just entered. She was looking down a long shaft where a small amount of light was coming through. "It looks like there's people down there." She said taking a step down.

"Renee wait!" I yelled running towards her. I grabbed her arm pulling her back. I could hear people crying. "Don't go rushing into places without back up." I told her pushing her behind me and making sure that Nick was behind her. I pulled out my flashlight to get a better look.

Tyrla's POV

I knew something was going on inside. They hadn't found anymore family members and they wouldn't. I didn't feel any of their presence in this building. They would find more people than any of us had guessed would be trapped in this hell hole. The funny thing was if you looked around this abandoned military base on the top of the hill you would see the ocean, a beautiful town off in the distance and rolling hills filled with country living. We had landed in California in a town called Ferndale. A simple place where you could see the history of this place. If I had wanted any place to relax and enjoy the beautiful redwood trees that bordered along this place I would have stayed here.

"Tyrla should we go help?" my uncle Adrian asked me.

"They are going to need some help with the injured. There's no more danger so I guess we could go help." I told them all knowing very well that I would follow in the rear waiting to make my escape. I didn't plan on staying with them. I had made up my mind that first Nicky needed to grow without depending on my skills and powers. I needed to find my grandparents, which something told me was going to be very hard thing to do. I needed to stay hidden from the world and from my loved ones. I wouldn't be forced into changing anyone ever again. The only way to ensure that everyone I cared about would be safe from Strigoi's and myself would be to rid the world of them on my own.

Everyone stood up getting ready to enter the building from a double door that was half falling off its hinges. My mother stood looking at me in almost a knowing manner. It made me nervous, if she knew what I had planned she would never let me go. "Tyrla are you alright?" she asked me concerned.

"Yes mother. I'm just tired. We've been traveling for awhile trying to make it here. I'll be ok." I told her. "I have really missed you all. I love you mommy." I told her wrapping my arms around her and hoping she would take my remark as a girl who had just missed her and loved her and not me saying my goodbyes.

"Oh honey I love you so much. Don't worry this nightmare is almost over and then we can all be together again at home." She said hugging me back. I waited for everyone to walk ahead of me and slowly trailed behind. My mom kept looking behind her making sure we were all there. But as soon as we started getting deeper within the compound she stopped looking giving me the perfect opportunity to slip away.

Dimitri's POV

There had to be at least forty people down in the basement area. Some were guardians, Moroi, dhampirs and humans down there. The guardians had been drained of a lot of blood to keep them weak. A few faces I recognized but paid no attention to them at the moment because I could hear footsteps coming our way.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked the rest of the family as they entered the room. "Rose you should be resting." I said a little harsh but I had been so worried about her. She looked perfectly fine which was shocking after what she had just gone through. My eyes instinctively snapped in Nick's direction to make sure he wasn't going to attack her again. It felt horrible thinking of him that way but I couldn't let him hurt her again.

"Don't be such a protective fool, I'm perfectly fine." She told me walking my way a placing a kiss on my lips. I had to laugh out loud, no matter where we were, what we were doing I still couldn't stop myself from getting stupid in the head when she kissed me. "You really are a fool." She said when I kissed her back.

"These people need help Rose. Do you think you and the others can gather some wood and make a cart of some sorts? See if Tyrla will heal them the best she can. Where is she?" I asked looking around.

"She was right behind us. Tyrla!" Rose yelled looking around and heading back the way she came.

"It's no use mom. She's gone." Nick said putting his face in his hands and falling to his knees. "She left. She left because of me." He said crying. I hadn't seen him cry like this before.

"Son she didn't leave because of you. It'll be alright. Maybe she's outside." I tried comforting him. "Come on lets go look for her." I said reaching out my hand.

"You don't understand dad. I really upset her. I think she hates me." he looked up at me and in that small moment I knew he really had hurt her.

"Does this have to do with you stabbing your mother?" I asked hating how it sounded.

"Yes. She didn't want you to have these powers. I thought the only way for you to have them was for her to heal you. I was wrong. When she touched you back there she transferred them to you without harming you. She's angry with me because if I had just listened to her and let her figure it out she could have helped. Now she hates me, is disappointed in me because I think I know everything and because it should have been her choice. I keep underestimating her."

"Nick where would she go? Try to feel her." I asked him. I had already tried but couldn't find anything. That wasn't normal. Normally I could feel her with me at all times one way or another. I could also normally feel her emotions but now it felt like she didn't exist at all. "Can anyone else feel her?" I asked looking at the few guardians lying on the floor I knew she had healed.

"She's nowhere." Rosa said closing her eyes.

"No mom she's closed herself off. She doesn't want to be found." Nick said as he started helping some of the injured survivors off the ground. "Come on. If she doesn't want to be found she won't be. Let's get these people out of here before dark."

"What and just forget Tyrla?" Christian asked upset.

"Yes." Nick said. "When she's ready she'll come home." He said moving quickly.

"I'm going outside and looking around. Maybe she just needed air." Christian said walking away. Adrian followed after him while the rest of us started helping the others.

Tyrla's POV

I knew that if Nicky could transport himself then I could do it better. So I thought of home with all my might, closed my eyes and within a few seconds could smell the familiar scent of my home. I wouldn't say goodbye to Victor. It would crush him. I came here to gather a few things and to also say goodbye to my Sidka. I couldn't stand leaving him behind but he would draw too much attention. Stories about a girl with a lion would surface and my family would know where to find me. All I wanted to do now was to fix this all. Hopefully I could search out and destroy ever last Strigoi that walked this earth. Then nobody including my family would have to worry again.

I had to close myself off from my loved ones so that nobody could 'feel' me. I don't know how it affected them but to me it was like cutting of pieces of me. All those people I saved were constantly in my thoughts and I knew where each one was and how they were feeling. But now with no connections I felt so alone.

When I opened my eyes my room was surrounding me. A small nudge pushed me and I stretched out my hand to pet the thick hair of my Sidka. "Hi." I whispered. He started rubbing up against me while making whimpering noises. I sat down on the floor and he immediately lay down in my lap.

"Yesh you're getting heavy. I'm going to miss you so much." I said kissing the top of his head. "You have to stay here a watch over Victor. He's not going to take my leaving lightly." Sidka whined again. "I know, neither are you. But I can't take you with me. I have to do this on my own. I promise I will be back." I gave him one last long hug, closed my eyes with my things in my hands and disappeared. I could hear him roar as I left. For him I let a few tears fall.

Dimitri's POV

After getting everyone out safely and on their way to somewhere safe the rest of us headed home. It seemed throughout the whole trip nobody had anything to say. I was sure we were all thinking the same thing….Tyrla. This family had stayed together through all the hard times, why would she abandon us now? She was the strongest of us all. Realizing that it was always her power that fueled us was a hard one to take in. She was so fragile looking, so sweet and soft spoken. But honestly she was stronger, more determined and more forgiving than any of us.

"Dimitri?" Roza called from the door way. I hadn't realized I was sitting on my little girl's bed looking at her things. She had been here, I was sure of that. Sidka lay on the floor whimpering the whole time I sat there. Roza approached me and put her hand on my shoulder, "She will return. I know she will."

"I know. I just don't like thinking of her out there on her own. I was thinking that maybe I'd go looking for her." I told her.

"I've thought the same thing but Nick is right. She obviously wants to be on her own." Roza said.

"Sidka seems pretty upset too. Poor thing." I said as he approached me. he nuzzled against me. "Hey big boy." I said rubbing his ear.

Tyrla's POV

It was dark now, so dark that any normal person wouldn't be able to see three feet in front of their face. Me on the other hand had perfect vision and could see everything. What I was looking for were the dead. I had decided that I would start my work getting rid of the Strigoi from the world in Germany.

As I arrived in Munich I was really surprised to see just how large it was. I had heard through talks that this was a major tourist attraction which also meant easy pickings for Strigoi. I found my way around a number of tourists stopping to take pictures and found my way to a hotel. It was centered in the middle of a long row of buildings which meant perfect for observing any happens.

"Hello miss." The man behind the counter said in English with a very heavy German accent.

"Guten Tag." I said back to him. He smiled. (Hello)

"Little miss kennt deutschen?" He asked surprised I spoke German so well. (Little miss knows German)

"Ja." I replied. "Ich brauche ein Zimmer bitte." I asked. (Yes. I need a room please.)

"I must speak much English as can." He said. I nodded my head at him with a smile. "It's only you miss?" he asked looking around then looking at me.

I concentrated hard, "Remember you just directed my parents to the restroom."

"Ja, traurig." He said then realized he was speaking German again but didn't clarify because he knew I could understand. (yes, sorry). "Here's key, is room 26. It overlooks town and street below. It has balcony. You forgive me it also looks over bar across street." He said with an apologetic look.

I didn't mind that it overlooked the bar. It was actually perfect grounds for Strigoi to come to especially on the weekend. "That will be just fine. Thank you." I said taking the key and quickly jumping in the elevator.

I had gone for one of my walks, or what I called walks. They were really just me walking around looking for Strigoi. Which I always found. It seemed I had an act for drawing them out. They thought me as a homeless pathetic rag girl and were always surprised to see me standing over them as they took their last breaths. I never used my other abilities to kill anymore. As Nicki told me training would make me stronger. Well I wanted to be as good or better than him and my parents combined when it came to hand to hand combat. I didn't want to rely on my powers anymore if I didn't have to.

Rose's POV

It had been nearly a year that Tyrla left us and I missed her more and more every day. She did send us a short letter a couple months ago that said 'I'm fine, don't worry. I'll be home soon and I love you'. There were so many different postal stamps on it we had no clue where she really was. We did get word of Strigoi dropping dead in certain places and for the first few months we ran off to those places but in the end there was no trace of her. The whole family had decided to let her be and stop chasing after her, it was just hurting us all too much.

Jade on the other hand would be jabber on about seeing her in the rose garden. She was sitting out there one day all by herself. When I went to check on her she had roses growing all around her like Tyrla had done for years. She swore that her big sister was there for a few minutes and disappeared. We couldn't figure out if it was just the imagination of a young girl or was Tyrla really visiting her. I couldn't see why she wouldn't. Jade meant so much to Tyrla I wasn't surprised that she just might.

Jade had also latched on to Kyla. She had given birth to a beautiful baby girl two months after arriving. We were so scared about what would come out that we brought her down in the compound. Everyone was at the ready for anything. Rose, the baby does need blood in order to survive but with regular feedings and all of us reminding her she could hurt someone she seems to understand. When she started crawling was when things got a little crazy.

Dimitri's POV

She was so beautiful standing on the balcony lost in her own thoughts. I knew she was thinking of our little girl, we all thought of her night and day. It was easier now. Not by much but it was easier. Roza was my distraction. Looking at her or touching her always made that hurt go away for some time. And at this moment I needed to forget.

I slowly walked to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Her head leaned back into my shoulder with a sign. The sun was setting casting colors across the sky. I leaned down and kissed her neck loving the way she melted into me because of it. Her hand reached up caressing my face as I continued to kiss her neck. My hands couldn't help themselves and found their way to her breasts. She moaned loudly causing an ache in my pants.

I turned her in my arms so that I could press her lusty lips to mine. At that moment everything around us disappeared. It was just her and I. So hungry for each other we tore at each other's clothes.

Tyrla's POV

It was dark outside when I arrived at the train station. Time seemed to be passing so quickly while I was on my adventure that I hadn't noticed that another year had passed. I did occasionally write to my family to let them know I was ok. I sent things that I saw in small stores that reminded me of them. The last thing I had sent was for my mom, a beautiful hand carved wooden rose from a man who sat on the street begging for work. I knew it was risking sending the present after all it pretty much told of my last location.

"Hello Tyrla." I heard behind me. I turned around quickly ready to run but found no one there.

"Hello?" I said looking around.

A tall man with silver hair and mustache walked out from behind a tree. Something in my mother's memories from so long ago made me know that for some reason this man was someone she once knew. It was the loudest warning. He smiled at me softly.

"You don't know me but well dear I know you." He said with that odd smile. A memory flashed again of him speaking rudely to my mother at a dinner. Uncle Adrian was there and a few others. I did recognize one of the others as Daniella Ivashkov.

"Most everyone knows me. What do you want?" I asked almost rudely. "I have things to do." I said.

"I guess that's true you are famous. Your mother was a great friend of mine. I was hoping you could tell her to come see me or maybe bring me to her. I have important news for her." he said smoothly. I guess he really didn't understand or know anything about me. Lie's, every word he spoke was a lie. I knew it without any doubt.

"What news?" I asked.

"The whereabouts of her parents." He said with a smile.

"Then you can tell me."

"I think this would be easier if I introduced myself." He said reaching out his hand. "My name is Nathan."

"Nathan what?" I asked getting even more annoyed not reaching for his hand. He was up to something.

The corner of his mouth pulled up and then all signs of amusement left his face, "Nathan Ivashkov. And before you even think about running off, disappearing or killing me you might want to know that I have your grandparents." Uncle Adrian's fathers said to me.


End file.
